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Miracles can happen or so say House Democrats longing to win majority control of the chamber in November.

They need a net gain of 17 seats to seize the speakers gavel, which would require winning the lions share of roughly two dozen Republican-held seats targeted by Democrats this year most of them in GOP-leaning districts.

Pundits and pollsters give Democrats virtually no chance of pulling it off, but the party faithful nevertheless hang on to hope.

I am a believer, said Rep. James P. McGovern of Massachusetts, one of the most liberal Democrats in Congress.

I read regularly all the political pundits and the polls showing whos up and whos down on all the news shows. But I think people are not happy with the way this place is being run and, on the issues, I think people agree with us. If we get our message out and get the vote out, we win, he said.

Indeed, Americans overwhelmingly dislike what is happening on Capitol Hill. A Fox News poll last week found that 79 percent of those surveyed disapproved of Congress. Another recent poll showed that for the first time, a majority of voters 51 percent want to oust their own representatives.

House Republicans dismiss any suggestion that their majority is in danger and expect to expand their edge by as many as 10 seats.

Republicans also have high hopes of capturing the Senate as well. The party has an excellent shot of winning the net six seats needed for complete control of Congress.

Much of the difficulty facing House Democrats is that the path to midterm success runs predominantly through Republican-leaning districts. Republicans now have a 233-199 edge in the House, with three seats vacant.

Of the 24 Republican seats identified as in play by the Rothenberg Political Report, just nine are in districts that backed President Obama in the 2012 election. Winning in those districts could put Democrats more than halfway toward their goal.

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House Democrats hold out hope to win majority control of chamber in election