Republicans shift funds to defend 'safe' House seats amid Trump policy concerns

Republicans are pouring money into more than three dozen US House races previously considered "safe" after internal polling showed they could be vulnerable in the November 3 election, according to three Republican operatives familiar with the party’s thinking.

The shift is already starting to show in advertising reservations and campaign finance filings. Since September 1, major Republican groups and megadonors have begun spending in at least 39 congressional races where they haven’t previously deployed money this cycle, a Reuters review of spending by some of the largest Republican political groups shows.

Many of the candidates receiving new support sit in Republican strongholds and are still running ahead of Democratic opponents in public polls, these people said, indicating rising worry among party leaders over whether voters will use the November 3 election to air dissatisfaction over US President Donald Trump’s policies.

House Republican leaders recently warned dozens of campaigns that the party’s internal data shows that they cannot assume they will win, even if they are currently ahead in public polls and represent districts Trump won by double digits, two of the people said.