There's been some talk among political pundits suggesting that, due to gerrymandering and redistricting in 2010, the Democratic Party is going to have a difficult time retaking the U.S. House of Representatives.
I decided to do some poking around of my own, starting with Wikipedia's chart of potential toss-up seats in 2012 (scroll down a bit in the link) to generate a list of names of Congress members who might be vulnerable in 2014.
I also went to a few other sources, including Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball, which also conveniently included which Congress members in his 2014 predictions were elected in districts that voted for the other party's presidential candidate in 2012.
But before I get to that, I'd just like to remind readers to call their own Representative about the government shutdown, particularly if those readers live in "pink/purple" districts. This is the phone number for the U.S. House of Representatives switchboard, and the link will send you to an email form to contact your Congress member.
U.S. House Contact Info
(202) 224-3121
http://www.house.gov/...
Speaker of the House John Boehner
(202) 225-0600
(513) 779-5400
(937) 339-1524
(800) 582-1001
http://www.speaker.gov/...
Furthermore, we should contact the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, and put pressure on him to
PROVE IT! that there aren't enough votes to pass a clean continuing resolution.
The following is my list of names, along with contact information.
If you live in one of these Congress member's districts, you should let him or her know what you think about the government shutdown.
* The first phone number is the Congress member's Washington D.C. office number; all other numbers are district office numbers.
* The link beneath is a direct link to send an email form to your Congress member.
* The names in italics are Congress members who won their seats with a 6% margin or less.
Wikipedia's 2012 Toss-Up List:
+ CA-10 Jeff Denham 52.7% R / 47.3% D Leans R x2
(202) 225-4540
(209) 579-5458
https://denham.house.gov/...
+ CO-6* Michael Coffman 47.81% R / 45.77% D Leans R x2
(202) 225-7882
(720) 748-7514
http://coffman.house.gov/...
+ IL-13 Rodney L. Davis 46.6% R / 46.2% D Leans D X1 Leans R x1
(202) 225-2371
(217) 403-4690
(217) 791-6224
(309) 252-8834
(217) 824-5117
http://rodneydavis.house.gov/...
IA-3 Tom Latham 50.56% R / 42.2% D Leans R x2
(202) 225-5476
(515) 282-1909
(641) 782-2495
(712) 325-1404
http://latham.house.gov/...
IA-4 Steve King 51.69% R / 43.78% D Leans R x5
(202) 225-4426
(515) 232-2885
(515) 573-2738
(641) 201-1624
(712) 224-4692
(712) 580-7754
https://forms.house.gov/...
+ KY-6 Andy Barr 52% R? / 48% D? Leans R x1 Leans D x1
(202) 225-4706
(859) 219-1366
http://barr.house.gov/...
+ MI-1 Dan Benishek 48.1% R / 47.6% D Leans D
(202) 225-4735
(877) 376-5613
(906) 828-1581
(906) 273-1661
https://benishek.house.gov/...
NV-3 Joe Heck 50.36% R / 42.87% D Leans R x6
(202) 225-3252
(702) 387-4941
https://heck.house.gov/...
+ NY-19* Christopher Gibson 52.9% R / 47.1% D Leans Rx3
(202) 225-5614
(518) 610-8133
(607) 746-9537
(845) 514-2322
(607) 282-4002
(845) 747-9261
(845) 698-0132
http://gibson.house.gov/...
+ NY-27 Chris Collins 51% R / 49% D Leans R x2
(202) 225-5265
(585) 519-4002
(716) 634-2324
http://chriscollins.house.gov/...
OH-6 Bill Johnson 53.25% R / 46.75% D Leans R x 4
(202) 225-5705
(855) 376-0868
http://billjohnson.house.gov/...
+ OH-16 Jim Renacci 52.05% R / 47.95% D Leans R x2 Leans D x1
(202) 225-3876
(330) 334-0040
http://renacci.house.gov/...
+ PA-12 Keith Rothfus 51.5% R / 48.5% D Leans D x1
(202) 225-2065
(412) 837-1361
(814) 619-3659
(724) 359-1626
http://rothfus.house.gov/...
Voted Obama in 2012:
CA-21* David Valadao 61% R / 39% D
(202) 225-4695
(559) 582-5526
(661) 864-7736
http://valadao.house.gov/...
FL-13* Bill Young 57.57% R / 42.43% D
(202) 225-5961
(727) 392-4100
https://young.house.gov/...
MN-2* John Kline 57.3% R / 42.5% D
(202) 225-2271
(952) 808-1213
http://kline.house.gov/...
NJ-2* Frank LoBiondo 59+% R / 41-% D
(202) 225-6572
(800) 471-4450
(609) 625-5008
https://lobiondo.house.gov/...
+ NY-11* Mike Grimm 51% R / 48% D
(202) 225-3371
(718) 630-5277
(718) 351-1062
https://grimm.house.gov/...
VA-2* Scott Rigell 53.8% R / 46.1% D
(202) 225-4215
(757) 789-5172
(757) 687-8290
http://rigell.house.gov/...
Democratic Loss 2012:
AR-4 Tom Cotton 59% R / 31% D?
(202) 225-3772
(479) 754-2120
(870) 881-0681
(501) 520-5892
(870) 536-3376
http://cotton.house.gov/...
+ IN-2 Jackie Walorski 49.01% R / 47.58% D
(202) 225-3915
(574) 204-2645
(574) 780-1330
http://walorski.house.gov/...
NC-8 Richard Hudson 54% R / 46% D
(202) 225-3715
(704) 786-1612
(910) 997-2070
http://hudson.house.gov/...
NC-11 Mark Meadows 57% R / 43% D?
(202) 225-6401
(828) 426-8701
http://meadows.house.gov/...
NC-13 George Holding 56.8% R / 43.2% D?
(202) 225-3032
(919) 440-5274
(919) 782-4400
http://holding.house.gov/...
OK-2 Markwayne Mullin 57% R / 38% D
(202) 225-2701
(918) 341-9336
(580) 931-0333
(918) 423-5951
(918) 687-2533
http://mullin.house.gov/...
Larry J. Sabato's 2014 "Toss-Up" List and other 2014 "Toss-Up" lists:
CA-31 Miller, Gary 55% R / 45%? D
(202) 225-3201
(909) 980-1492
http://garymiller.house.gov/...
+FL-2 Southerland 53% R / 47% D
(202) 225-5235
(850) 785-0812
(850) 561-3979
http://southerland.house.gov/...
+FL-10 Webster 51.7% R / 48.3% D
(202) 225-2176
(407) 654-5705
(352) 383-3552
(863) 453-0273
http://webster.house.gov/...
MI-7 Walberg 53% R / 43% D
(202) 225-6276
(517) 780-9075
http://walberg.house.gov/...
MI-11 Bentivolio 50.8% R / 44.4% D
(202) 225-8171
(248) 859-2982
http://bentivolio.house.gov/...
NE-2 Terry
(202) 225-4155
(402) 397-9944
http://leeterry.house.gov/...
+NY-23 Reed 51.9% R / 48.1% D
(202) 225-3161
(315) 759-5229
(716) 708-6369
(607) 654-7566
(607) 222-2027
(716) 379-8434
https://reed.house.gov/...
OH-14 Joyce 54.04% R / 38.73% D
(202) 225-5731
(440) 352-3939
(800) 447-0529
(330) 425-9291
http://joyce.house.gov/...
PA-7 Meehan 59.4% R / 40.6% D
(202) 225-2011
(610) 690-7323
http://meehan.house.gov/...
PA-8 Fitzpatrick 56.6% R / 43.4% D
(202) 225-4276
(215) 579-8102
https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/...
WI-7 Duffy 56.08% R / 43.80% D
(202) 225-3365
http://duffy.house.gov/...
* = Voted Obama in 2012
+ = less than 53% R / 47% D
Please contact your Congress member if her or his name is on this list and put pressure on her or him to end this shutdown now!
If you have any names you think should belong on this list, but aren't here, please suggest them in the comments below. This list is, by no means, comprehensive.