[img_assist|nid=3428|title=U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D)|desc=Getty Images Photo|link=none|align=right|width=200|height=194]DENVER – When it comes to the outlook for his party in House races this fall, U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Mechanicsville) is betting outright that Democrats expand their majority big time.

“…I think we are going to pick up a substantial number of seats,” Hoyer said in a short interview outside the Marriott hotel.

“All over the country we have candidates who have outraised either incumbents or Republican challengers (and) who are doing very well in the polls,” the 14-term congressman added. “Very very few of our candidates are under severe challenge. So I think we’re going to pick up a good number of seats, expand our majority in the United States House of Representatives and expand our majority in the United States Senate.”

Hoyer singled out Betsy Markey, the former aide to U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Denver) who is challenging U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Collins), as a particularly strong Democratic challenger.

The Democratic leader, who is here this week to attend the Democratic National Convention, wouldn’t predict how many seats his party would pick up in the House but said Democrats had over 75 pickup opportunities around the country.

Since winning the majority of the chamber in 2006, Democrats now hold a 236-199 advantage over Republicans. This cycle the party is looking to expand its edge, with Washington odds makers currently predicting that the party could be in for a pickup of anywhere from 12 to 17 seats.

Hoyer said the Democrats’ offensive position heading into the fall “is amazing given the fact that we have over 40 new members in the Congress (and) a pickup of over 30 net Democratic seats last time.”