538 and Cook List Alaska Among Competitive Congressional Races

538 — “As the 2016 election approaches its end, Republican control of the House isn’t in much doubt, but the final makeup of the chamber remains a mystery. The GOP holds a 247-to-188 seat majority, and our outlook at the Cook Political Report (where I’m House editor) is a Democratic gain of between five and 20 seats. That’s not enough to flip control, but the final seat count matters: It could affect the viability of the next president’s agenda and even Speaker Paul Ryan’s job security.”

“The Cook Political Report rates 37 races as competitive, including 30 Republican-held seats and seven Democratic seats. Want to know how Ryan’s and Nancy Pelosi’s night is going? Use the matrix below to keep score of how the most competitive races are breaking and look for surprises. The categories I’m using below loosely correspond to Cook’s ratings.”

“Democrats are having a very good night if they’re winning …”

“Alaska’s (at-large) district – Rep. Don Young (R) – Young, who was first elected in 1973, is the longest-serving Republican in Congress. But Alaska is weirdly close in the presidential race (by Alaska standards), and Democrat Steve Lindbeck, the former CEO of Alaska Public Media, has attackedYoung’s colorful remarks and ties to oil companies. A Young upset would qualify as a late-night shocker.”

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