GOP believes House control possible

WASHINGTON, July 31 (UPI) -- Republicans believe they could gain control of the House even it they don't win the 39 seats needed in the upcoming election, a GOP leader said.

The GOP could win the support of a couple of conservative Democrats who no longer support House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for another term, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Friday.

Republicans would like to see House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, take over leadership and think by winning over conservative-thinking Democrats that could happen, The Hill reported.

"Not only are there more than enough seats for the Republicans to gain the majority," McCarthy said in an interview published on the online site CSPAN.org, "there are more Republicans running than ever in the history of the party."

McCarthy, chief deputy minority whip, has suggested Republicans might sway conservative Democrats Walther Minnick of Idaho and Oklahoma's Dan Boren to vote for someone other than Pelosi as House speaker. If so, that could give the GOP de facto control of the House, he said.