Try to predict how many seats the GOP will have in the House and Senate.

Try to predict how many seats the GOP will have in the House and Senate.

Try to predict how many seats the GOP will have in the House and Senate.

Slate readers predict the future.
Oct. 7 2010 9:59 AM

Can the Republicans Take Back Congress?

Try to predict how many seats the GOP will have in the House and Senate.

As you read this, there are 255 Democrats and 178 Republicans in the House of Representatives. In January, when the 112th Congress takes office, there will almost certainly be fewer Democrats and more Republicans. On second thought, strike that "almost." As any casual Web surfer can quickly learn, the 2010 election looks great for Republicans and very bad for Democrats. The question is not how many seats Republicans will win, but whether they will win enough to gain control of the House for the time since way back in 2007 (they need 40 more seats). Which leads to the question: How many seats will the Republicans control in the House in the next Congress?

Remember: we're not looking for how many seats the Republicans will gain in November. We're looking for the total number of seats they will control. You can choose any number between 0 and 435.

Currently, the Democrats also control the Senate: There are 57 Democrats and 41 Republicans. (Two senators are technically independents, though they caucus with the Democrats.) No one believes those numbers will be the same come January. Can Republicans gain enough seats—for those of you scoring at home, that number would be 10—to win control of the Senate? So far at least, it looks to be a pretty good year for Republican Senate candidates. How many seats will the Republicans control in the Senate in the next Congress?

Remember: we're not looking for how many seats the Republicans will gain in November. We're looking for the total number of seats they will control. You can choose any number between 0 and 100.