Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for February 5, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
February 5, 2018: So far, 49 representatives in Congress have announced they will not seek re-election in 2018. That total includes 34 Republicans and 15 Democrats. These retirements could have a significant impact on Election 2018 for the simple reason that incumbents are very difficult to unseat.
The potential impact of these retirements was highlighted in a recent column noting conflicting trends in the congressional election. The Generic Congressional Ballot polling has become more favorable to Republicans over the past month. But a race-by-race analysis shows the Democrats gaining ground. The difference is that retiring Republicans in competitive districts are opening up new possibilities for the Democrats.
According to the New York Times, however, just 26 of the congressional retirements are in potentially competitive districts. This list includes 16 Republicans and 10 Democrats.[1]
An earlier Number of the Day noted that only about 10% of U.S. House races are likely to be competitive in 2018.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- February 2, 2018 – 51 million people watched Super Bowl I
- February 1, 2018 – 1.5 trillion dollars in unfunded state liabilities
- January 31, 2018 – 42 percent of eligible Mexican immigrants have become U.S. citizens
- January 30, 2018 – 50 years ago today, the Tet Offensive began in Vietnam
- January 29, 2018 – 39 percent of Americans have strong religious affiliation, little changed since 1980s
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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See also
- Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day
- List of U.S. Congress incumbents who did not run for re-election in 2018
Footnotes
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