It’s still 15 months until the 2018 midterm elections, but prospects have turned cloudier for Illinois Rep. Mike Bost, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, says Sabato’s Crystal Ball. Now that a Democrat challenger has announced, the political tipsheet rates the race in the southern Illinois district as “likely” Republican, a change from its previous “safe” Republican assessment.
Bost’s race is among five congressional districts that the Crystal Ball says have become more competitive. “Perhaps the most notable seat on this list is IL-12 in Southern Illinois: Democratic recruit Brendan Kelly, the St. Clair County state’s attorney, has been a rumored candidate before [and] is taking the plunge this cycle in a seat that swung right at the presidential level last year.”
The Crystal Ball continues to list Agriculture Committee member Jeff Denham, a California Republican, as a toss-up for reelection. Another committee member, Minnesota Democrat Rick Nolan, continues to be listed in a “likely” Democratic race. At this point, most committee members are expected to win reelection.