National polling shows Democrats holding an advantage in the generic race for the House of Representatives, a lead that several surveys tie to voter concerns about prices and the cost of living. The CBS News Battleground Tracker is among the polls finding this dynamic, and it has prompted both parties to recalibrate where they are spending money and attention.

Democratic strategists have moved to expand their map of competitive districts. Politico reported that Democratic campaign organizations added six new districts to their target list, including two seats Donald Trump carried by roughly 20 points in the last presidential election. The Economist examined how this kind of shift interacts with district lines drawn after the last round of redistricting, noting that gerrymandered maps designed to protect incumbents can still leave some Republican-held seats exposed if a broad shift in public opinion, sometimes described as a wave, materializes.

Republicans have not conceded the landscape. Trump has held rallies in Ohio and Alabama as part of an effort to rally support for GOP candidates, and at one event he told supporters the party would win in November. The Hill also reported that Trump has directed millions of dollars from his political fundraising operation into specific House and Senate races, part of an effort to shore up Republican prospects in contests both parties view as competitive.

Other factors are shaping individual races. NPR's political coverage has tracked how scandals involving specific candidates are influencing contests, with some campaigns forced to address personal or legal controversies involving their nominees. NPR also reported that economic pressure from inflation and the situation involving Iran have become subjects of debate over how they might affect voter sentiment.

The Boston Globe reported that conditions have continued to worsen for Republicans relative to where they stood earlier in the cycle, citing polling trends and recruitment challenges in some districts. Separately, The Washington Post reported that state election officials have said the Trump administration has not provided the assistance they say they need to address security and administrative threats to the midterm elections.

The New York Times has continued to track and aggregate the available polling data on the race for control of Congress, noting that while Democrats currently hold an edge in most generic ballot surveys, the margin varies across polls.

References

1. 1.CBS News Battleground Tracker — generic ballot polling showing Democratic advantage tied to cost-of-living concerns
2. 2.Politico — Democratic campaign committees expanding target list to six new districts
3. 3.The Economist — analysis of redistricting and exposure of Republican-held seats
4. 4.The Hill — Trump's fundraising operation directing money into House and Senate races
5. 5.NPR — candidate scandals and economic/Iran-related debate affecting races
6. 6.The Boston Globe — worsening conditions for Republicans relative to earlier in the cycle
7. 7.The Washington Post — state election officials' concerns about federal assistance on election security
8. 8.The New York Times — aggregation of generic ballot polling data