Kamala Harris Surge Has Leading Republican Worried

The chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) called upon Republican lawmakers to intensify their efforts to grow the party's majority and not "lose the country", following recent polls showing Vice President Kamala Harris in the lead.

North Carolina Representative Richard Hudson, who leads the NRCC, said during a House Republican Conference call on Thursday—the first widely attended Republican meeting since Harris began leading former President Donald Trump in several polls— "We still have a great shot to grow our majority," according to Punchbowl News.

Newsweek reached out to Hudson's communication director for comment and confirmation via email on Friday.

"But the Democrats are at the gates—hauling in hundreds of millions of dollars in the last few weeks," he added.

Hudson urged his fellow Republican congressmembers to fully commit to their shared goal, stating, "If we're going to grow our majority, I need you to truly want it."

He cautioned members to stay focused on their message and ramp up fundraising efforts, warning that if they fail to do so, they could "lose the country" this election.

House Speaker Mike Johnson also spoke on the call, telling members about candidates across the country and announcing that he would transfer $4 million to the NRCC, the House GOP's campaign arm.

Both Republicans and Democrats are vying for control of the chamber in November. Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the House, holding 220 seats compared to Democrats' 212 seats.

The Cook Political Report has rated 11 Democrat and 11 Republican House races as "toss-up," including several seats in Arizona, California, Michigan, New York, and Ohio.

270 to Win's consensus forecast, which aggregates five forecasts, places 23 races as "toss-up," with the Democrats likely to secure 203 seats and Republicans 209 seats.

The Hill's forecast model predicts that Republicans have a 61 percent chance of keeping the House in November. It was last updated on July 18, three days before President Joe Biden exited the presidential race and endorsed Harris.

Since then, Harris has received widespread support from the party and fundraising feats, raising $200 million in the first week of her announced candidacy, for a total of $310 in the month, according to the campaign. Campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said that Harris raised more than $81 million within the first 24-hour period following Biden's announcement. In contrast, Trump's campaign said it raised $138.7 million in July.

Presidential campaigns and their endorsements can influence down-ballot races, and Harris's recent surge in the polls has raised concerns among Republican congressional members.

Harris has emerged as the favorite over former Trump in four key swing states—Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan—according to prediction platform Polymarket. Her strongest showing is in Michigan, where she leads with 66 percent to Trump's 34 percent. However, Trump maintains an edge in North Carolina, with 61 percent predicting his victory compared to Harris's 39 percent.

Nationally, Harris is leading Trump by at least 1 percentage point, according to several poll aggregators, including The Hill, The New York Times, FiveThirtyEight, and RealClearPolitics, as of Friday.