Ten House Races to Watch

Time profiles the top 10 House races to watch this fall:

• Calif., 11th District: Dem Jerry McNerney bested an ethically questioned rep in 2006. He’ll get an incumbency boost this time, but opponent Dean Andal has plenty of money.
• Conn., 4th District: Chris Shays is one of the most liberal members of the GOP House, in power since 1987. Dem Jim Hines, a former Goldman VP, is counting on anti-war turnout.

• Ill., 10th District: Republican incumbent Mark Kirk is in for a bitter rematch with prof Dan Seals, who won points for a recent gas subsidy stunt.
• Miss., 1st District: Travis Childers shocked the Republican Party by beating Greg Davis in a May special election deep in red Mississippi. Now the rematch.
• Ohio, 1st District: Republican Steve Chabot barely survived the 2006 midterms, and is hoping black turnout in Cincinnati doesn’t buoy opponent Steve Driehaus too much.
• Ohio, 15th District: Dem Mary Jo Kilroy has out-raised Republican Steve Strivers in this open race. But the GOP is hoping to overcome her high name recognition.
• Penn., 10th District: Chris Carney is another Dem elected on the back of a scandal-ridden GOPer, but popular Chris Hackett could retake the red district.
• Texas, 22nd District: Dem incumbent Nick Lampson is hoping to hold off Naval officer Pete Olson in Tom DeLay’s old seat.
• Va., 11th District: GOPer Keith Fimian and Dem Gerry Connolly are vying for an open seat. Finian is a bit green, but has three times the cash.
• Wis., 8th District: Dem congressman Steve Kagen represents one of the country’s most evenly divided districts, including Green Bay and Appleton. John Gard hopes to pick it off.

(More Election 2008 stories.)