WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- A poll Sunday indicated Republicans would capture the House and make gains in the U.S. Senate even though their lead over the Democrats had narrowed.
The Washington Post-ABC News poll said 49 percent of likely voters in Tuesday's midterm elections planned to vote Republican compared to 45 percent who said they would be supporting Democrats.
The Post said the gap between the two parties had narrowed since September, however, Democrats faced the challenge of getting their sympathizers to the polls. The poll noted Democrats had an edge among all registered voters of 49 percent to 44 percent, but that group is considered less likely to vote.
The numbers translated to a good chance Republicans would win the 39 seats they need to control the House. There are 19 Democratic seats expected to fall to the GOP and another 47 races that are considered tossups.
In the Senate, the Republicans need to win 10 seats to claim a majority. The Post said its analysis has them winning three seats and possibly as many nine.
The Republicans are also expected to score some good wins in the various governors' races, particularly in the Midwest. The Post said the races have national overtones since governors will play a role in next year's congressional redistricting.
The telephone poll was conducted Oct. 25-28 among 1,202 adults, including 1,015 registered voters. The margin of error was 3 percentage points overall and 4 points among the 786 likely voters.
