Evening star., 1954-10-31
House Race

and 10 Democratic.
: House Race
Democratic chances for con-
!. troll of the House are excellent
Democratic leaders. who claim
: a strong undercurrent or trend
4 in favor of their party, are pre-
dieting they will sweep the House
elections. They predict their
margin of control of that body
in the new Congress will be 4C
to 60-perhaps even 80. (The
.one Independent in the House
Frazier Reams of Ohio. is ex-
pected to win re-electiono
Republican National Chair
man Leonard w. Hall and Re-
publican Speaker Joe Martin OF
Massachusetts, see the picture
very differently. They claim that
the G. o. P. instead of losing
seats in the House. will make
gains sufficient to give the party
a better working majority-per-
haps an overall lead of 25 to 80
votes.
Democratic Gains Predicted.
More objective observers give
the House to the Democrats
though not by margins as wide
as those claimed by Democratic
National Committeeman Stephen
A. Mitchell, and House Minority
Leader Sam Rayburn of Texas.
The objective view is that the
Democratic net gains in the
House will range from 10 to Is
seats, giving them total OF
from 225 to 240 seats. This
would leave the G. o. P. with
from 1874 to 209 seats.
One important Democratic
leader, who did not care to be
quoted, put the probable net gain
of the Democrats at 20 seats
for a total of 235.
Democrats say their House
gains will come particularly in
New York, Pennsylvania, Cali
fornia and Missouri. They are
claiming as many as five Repub-
lican-held seats in New York,
with no losses to the Republi-
cans. In Pennsylvania, they ex-
pect to pick up three House seats,
and two to four seats in Cali
fornia. In Missouri they hope
for two, or perhaps three.
Other States in which the
Democrats figure they will make
gains of one or two seats include
Massachusetts,, Connecticut, Illi-
nois. Maryland. Virginia, North
Carolina, Washington, West Vir-
ginia, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada and
Indiana.
While Republican net gains in
the House appear improbable,
the G.. O. P. candidates fol-
House seats now held by Demo-
Gratis may win in several dis
tricts, offsetting De ocra tic
gains. The Republicans, for ex-
ample have a chance of taking
over the 9Th California district
now represented by Robert L
Condor, denied clearance fol
atomic energy tests by the Atomic
Energy Commission and the
Navy because of alleged past
association with Reds and fell
low travellers. Mr.. Condon's case
has been in the limelight wher
Chairman Mitchell months age
stated that he and the party's
national committee would moi
support Mr.. Condor.
;. Also the Republicans appar-
-ently have an edge in the 18th
Ohio district, hitherto repre-
scented by Robert T. Secrest
Democrat, who has been ap.
pointed to the Federal Trade
Commission. Mr.. Secrest hele
this district because of his per-
-sonal popularity rather than be-
cause he was a Democrat. Like
wise, the Republicans expect tt
regain a Kansas seat they los
two years ago.
See Recovery in Solid South
Nor is it expected that thu
Democrats will take back al
four of the House seats which
the Republicans won in th'
."Solid South" in 1852 in Vir
sginia and one in North Caro-
lima. Representative Jonas, il
the 10th North Carolina dis
,trict, is reported to be holdinI
his own. So is Representative
Broyhill in the 10th Virgins
district. Representative Pofi
Republican, in the 9Th Virgini;
district, is said to have a goot
chance for reelection, though
Representative Wampler, Repub
.lican, in the 9th Virginia district
is in trouble, largely because o
unemployment in the coal mines
In Maryland, a border State
but State which has frequentl,
reflected Nationwide politica
.currents-the Republicans hol
-four of seven House seats. TIL
Democrats best chance for vic
tory over Republican there lie
in the 5th district, where Repre-
sentative Small is seeking re
election. The three other race
appear close, but with the Re
.publicans holding an edge.
Republicans deny the Demo
Gratis will make a net gain O
three or four seats the latter ar
claiming in Pennsylvania. The,
admit they may lose seats in dis
.tricts affected by unemployment
in the coal mines. But they in
sist they have a chance of pick
ing up a couple of seats in Phila
delphia, because of Democrat
factional troubles there.
Senate Race
The fight for control of th
Senate seems closer than that i
the House, and the outcom
hinges on races in 20 State
These are California, Colorad,
Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, low;
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