Summary: While it may be hard to look away from the steel cage match between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, it’s time to start looking "down ticket,” as these congressional races could be one of the biggest stories in the 2016 election. What happens in the House and Senate races will ultimately shape and influence the next presidency. And many questions remain: What will the Trump effect be on congressional races? What impact will this have in the Senate? Is there any possibility that the House, currently with a large Republican majority, could swing to the Democrats? And will the Freedom Caucus expand or contract in size, and what challenges will this pose House Speaker Paul Ryan? These questions and more are answered in episode 15 of Politics & Polls with special guest David Wasserman, house editor of The Cook Political Report. A political analyst, Wasserman is responsible for handicapping and analyzing U.S. House Races for The Cook Political Report, a widely regarded nonpartisan, independent newsletter. Wasserman has served as an analyst for the NBC News Election Night Decision Desk in 2014, 2012, 2010 and 2008, and has appeared on NBC Nightly News, ABC World News, C-SPAN Washington Journal, CNN and NPR.
