NRCC chair reveals the two most crucial states in the race for the House majority
Republicans are feeling good about their chances of retaining a majority in the House of Representatives this cycle, with a focus on two key states that could determine which party will hold the gavel in the next Congress.
Republicans currently hold the majority in the House with 220 GOP seats, compared to the Democrats' 212. There have also been three vacancies in the chamber this year.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chair, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that he's "confident we're [Republicans] going to hold the House majority" for the 119th Congress.
"Our candidates are running strong. If you look at early voting, the numbers look really good for Republicans. The enthusiasm's out there. I think the momentum is definitely with President Trump and the Republicans," Hudson said. "We have a lot of close races, so we're not taking anything for granted."
Republicans have focused on building infrastructure in the two key states where the party is defending the most seats: California and New York.
In California, Republican Reps. John Duarte, David Valadao, Mike Garcia, Ken Calvert and Michele Steel are all considered to be running in "toss-up" races, according to the Cook Political Report, a top nonpartisan political handicapper.
Several Republican representatives are also vulnerable in New York. New York Rep. Marc Molinaro's re-election race is considered a "toss-up," while the Empire State seats held by Reps. Anthony D'Esposito and Brandon Williams are considered "Lean Democrat" by the Cook Political Report.
"Our incumbents are running very strong there," the chair said. "Those states take a long time to count their votes. So they may be the races we're waiting on after midnight on election night and beyond. But it really may come down to those states to determine how big our majorities are going to be."
Hudson noted several other pickup opportunities across the country that are key to creating a path to the majority in the House.
"There are a lot of close races right now across the country. But I think some of the key races are Alaska, where our candidate, Nick Begich, is doing extremely well. I think we're going to flip that seat and go all the way to Maine on the other side of the United States."
The chair also noted that he anticipates picking up four seats in North Carolina, as well as flipping the blue seat in Maine's 2nd congressional district.
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Hudson recalled observing a significant change within the GOP in the push for early voting, which he says has given the party a boost this cycle.
"I believe Donald Trump is going to win the White House. But if we keep Jefferies as Speaker of the House, the House is a majority-take-all with a one-seat majority. We were successful in passing legislation because Republicans stuck together," he added. "If you want to see Donald Trump in the White House because you want to see his policies, you need a Republican House to enact those policies."