Biden predicts 52 Dem seats

Vice President Biden predicted Tuesday that Democrats would end up with around 52 seats in the Senate and retain their majority during a get-out-the-vote interview on Connecticut radio.

“I think we’re going to end up with 52 about, in that range, Democratic votes,” Biden said in an interview with WPLR radio.

{mosads}“I think we win Alaska, which you know the pundits are saying we lose. I think we win North Carolina, which is a tough race. I think we win New Hampshire, in fact I’m pretty, pretty confident we win New Hampshire,” Biden said.

Incumbent Democrats in each of those races are facing tough reelection battles.

According to the RealClearPolitics polling averages, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) lead their Republican opponents by less than a percentage point. In Alaska, Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) is 2.4 percentage points behind, according to the averages.

Biden went on to predict the Democrats could pick up two seats now held by Republicans.

“I think we have a chance of picking up an independent who will be with us in the state of Kansas. I think we’re going to win Georgia. I think Nunn is going to win in Georgia. I think there will be a runoff probably with Mary Landrieu,” he said.

In Kansas, independent Greg Orman has a slight polling advantage over incumbent Republican Sen. Pat Roberts. Both Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Democratic candidate Michelle Nunn are trailing in the polls. 

Biden’s comments were made as part of a series of get-out-the-vote Election Day interviews. The vice president also called in to radio stations in Scranton, Pa., and Quad Cities, Iowa, looking to drive voters to the polls.

“This election is a big deal,” Biden said. 

“There’s a whole lot at stake,” he added. “The country’s poised to really do some great things, relative to the rest of the world. The economy’s coming back.”

The vice president sidestepped questions about his own electoral future. Asked about the chance he’d be campaigning again in 2016, Biden said, “Right now, we got candidates running in your state that I’m for.”

Biden made a point of contrasting Connecticut voting laws to other parts of the area, noting there were a “whole bunch of states out here trying to curtail the right to vote — make it harder, let me be precise.”

In Connecticut, Biden noted, there were “no IDs required, you just show up and vote.”

“If you don’t show up you don’t get to complain that much,” he said.