Politics | poll numbers GOP Holds Lead in Home Stretch Enthusiasm gap leaves Democrats trailing in likely voters By Kevin Spak Posted Oct 20, 2010 8:44 AM CDT Copied House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, center, gestures while announcing the Republicans "Pledge to America" agenda, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010, at a lumber company in Sterling, Va. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Republicans are in the driver’s seat as the 2010 election winds down, despite a vigorous last-ditch push from Democrats, according to a new Wall Street Journal poll. Overall, registered voters narrowly prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress to a Republican-controlled one, but among likely voters, Republicans hold a 50%-43% edge. In the 92 races considered most competitive, that gap yawns to 14 points. “It's hard to say Democrats are facing anything less than a category four hurricane,” says one Democratic pollster, who conducted the poll alongside a Republican pollster. They predict that the GOP will pick up 52-53 seats, easily surpassing the 39 it needs to take over. The New York Times’ FiveThirtyEight blog gives Republicans a 73% chance of taking the House. Read These Next Ivanka and Jared are making headlines again. Nutritionists and regulators are rethinking orange juice. 200 images of the Idaho murder scene have been released. Perrier is on defense in France's 'Water-gate.' Report an error