A race to watch: In D.C. suburbs, a House Republican tries to tiptoe away from Trump.

Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., leaves the House
Republican Conference meeting in the basement of the
Capitol on Oct. 24, 2017. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

When Democrats settle in on Nov. 6 to see if they can win back control of the House, one of the first contests they’ll be watching will be just outside Washington, D.C., in the northern Virginia suburbs.

Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock’s seat in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District will be a crucial indicator. The result will be reported earlier than results from states farther west, and so both parties will use it as a weathervane. 

Democrats need to win 24 seats that are currently held by Republicans.

In a suburban district that is trending Democratic, Comstock has positioned herself as a moderate with a focus on local issues such as transit, while Democrats will try to tie her to President Trump. The same dynamic will be playing out in similar districts around the country, including three in Orange County, California; the Sixth District in Colorado, in suburban Denver; and the Seventh District in Texas, in and around Houston. All of these are suburban districts growing in population and ethnic diversity, giving Democrats a chance to win them.

By Jon Ward.

Full story at Yahoo News.