Democrats headed toward big gains in House, Senate

So too is Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, who was convicted Monday on seven felony counts on charges that he lied about free home renovations and other gifts from a wealthy oil contractor. Despite calls from colleagues — including Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin — to resign, Stevens has refused to drop out of his re-election race against Democrat Mark Begich.

Even if they win all four of those races — a tall order — Democrats would be two seats shy of 60 and looking South to get them.

In the House, Democrats are so flush with cash that they have spent nearly $1 million to capture a seat centered on Maryland’s Eastern Shore that has been in Republican hands for two decades.

It is one of 27 races where the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has spent $1 million or more — a total that the counterpart Republican group has yet to match anywhere.

“We’ve had to hold most of our resources for the final two weeks and that’s beginning to make a difference,” said Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, chairman of the GOP House committee.

Cole declined to make an overall prediction.

“A lot depends on what happens presidentially in the next 10 days. We’re very closely tied with John McCain and we got a lot of open seats and a strong financial disadvantage,” he said.

He predicted the party’s Republican presidential candidate would mount a strong finish and help other candidates on the ballot.

Still, the party’s campaign committee recently pulled back from plans to advertise on behalf of incumbents in Michigan, Florida, Colorado and Minnesota who face competitive challenges.

For its part, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently invested in a race in the Lincoln, Neb., area held by Republican Rep. Lee Terry. Obama has a dozen or more paid staff as well as volunteers there hoping to win one electoral vote.

Democrats express confidence they will pick up at least two and possibly three Republican-held New York seats where incumbents decided against running again and at least one each in Illinois, Virginia, Ohio, New Mexico and Arizona. There are additional opportunities in at least a half-dozen other states.

Republican incumbents in greatest jeopardy include Reps. Don Young in Alaska, Tom Feeney and Ric Keller in Florida, Joe Knollenberg and Tim Walberg in Michigan, Marilyn Musgrave in Colorado, Jon Porter in Nevada and Robin Hayes in North Carolina.

Among the few Democrats in close races are Reps. Nick Lampson in Texas, who is in a solidly Republican district; Tim Mahoney in Florida, who recently admitted to having two extramarital affairs; Carol Shea-Porter in New Hampshire and Paul Kanjorski in Pennsylvania.

Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.

(Associated Press)

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