Control of US House Hinges on Historically Low Number of Seats

A shrinking number of seats will determine control of the US House after both Republicans and Democrats spent much of the past year redrawing congressional maps to erase swing districts.

Even before Florida’s legislature approved a new Republican-leaning map last week, just 16 seats were listed as “tossups” by the Cook Political Report, the nonpartisan newsletter that serves as an unofficial electoral scorekeeper. Another 16 districts are listed as leaning toward Democrats or Republicans, with the outcome all but predetermined for more than 400 seats.