After bruising confirmation battle, EPA nominee Scott Pruitt expected to clear Senate vote »If the 2016 election proved anything, it is the foolhardiness of making political predictions, especially this far out. How many Senate seats will be contested? After making significant gains in the tea party election of 2010, Republicans had to defend 24 Senate seats compared to Democrats’ 10. Historically, the party holding the White House loses congressional seats in the first set of midterm elections after a president takes office. Republicans picked up nine Senate seats in 2014, but that was in Obama’s second midterm election, a time of particular political weakness.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 17, 2017 11:03 UTC