 Some of the most interesting and important elections of 2014 are happening in the House of Representatives. (POLITICO's 2014 race ratings) 
 
 Here’s POLITICO’s look at the five most suspenseful House races in the 2014 homestretch. Nebraska’s 2nd DistrictBrad Ashford (D) v. Incumbent Lee Terry (R) 
 
 In deep-red Nebraska, by contrast, even with Obama’s massive unpopularity Democrats could pick up a congressional seat. But Terry has really been in trouble this year after he insisted he wouldn’t give up his paycheck during the 2013 government shutdown because “Dang straight…I’ve got a nice house and a kid in college.” The resulting furor has kept Terry on the defensive against Democrat Brad Ashford and forced groups supporting the Republican incumbent to air “Willie Horton-style” negative ads on his behalf. Many strategists say the race, one of Democrats’ top pickup opportunities, could go either way. West Virginia’s 3rd 
 
 Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall has been a mainstay of Capitol Hill, for nearly four decades representing a West Virginia district even as it turned deeply conservative. This year’s race has turned into one of the ugliest, nastiest and most expensive campaigns of the cycle, as Republican state Sen. Evan Jenkins, who switched parties to run for the seat, dukes it out with the longtime incumbent. New York’s 11th DistrictDomenic Recchia (D) v. Incumbent Michael Grimm (R) 
 
 In this Staten Island-based district, which Obama won in 2012, Democrat Domenic Recchia has a significant fundraising advantage and Republican incumbent Michael Grimm is facing a 20-count indictment, so why is the race still close? But it also may have something to do with Recchia himself. Arizona’s 2nd 
 
 It’s one of the most scrutinized races in the country, pitting Democratic Rep. Ron Barber, a popular congressman and shooting spree survivor, and Republican Martha McSally, a retired Air Force officer who was the first female to fly in combat.
– Given the stakes, you may be tempted to focus more on Senate races next Tuesday than House ones—but there's plenty of political drama to hold your attention in the lower chamber. Among the most interesting races: In New York's 11th district, a man facing a federal indictment on 20 counts—who also threatened on camera to hurl a reporter off a balcony—is actually leading the race, both parties say. Republican Rep. Michael Grimm is ahead of Domenic Recchia in a red area of Staten Island, and Recchia hasn't helped himself with befuddled discussions of policy, Politico reports. In California's 52nd, a poll shows Democratic Rep. Scott Peters with 45% of the vote to ex-San Diego councilman Carl DeMaio's 46%. DeMaio is facing trouble over accusations of sexual harassment from a former staffer; he denies them, and police aren't looking to charge him. The GOP is still hopeful. In West Virginia's 3rd, an almost four-decade incumbent is grappling with Koch-funded attacks pushing his association with President Obama. Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall is now just behind Republican Evan Jenkins in both parties' polls—and if Jenkins wins, Republicans are poised to hold onto the seat for a long time. Here's an odd one: Both candidates running in Florida's 26th are caught up in scandals, and perhaps the weirdest is the accusation that Democratic incumbent Joe Garcia ate his own earwax on TV, the Daily Beast reports. But opponent Carlos Curbelo has taken flak for calling Medicare and Social Security "Ponzi schemes." In Nebraska's 2nd, the race could hinge on an inflammatory ad. Former RNC chairman Michael Steele says the ad, which targets Democratic state lawmaker Brad Ashford, is "racist." The spot argues that Ashford backed a "good time law" resulting in the early release of convicted murderer Nikko Jenkins. The district offers Democrats a chance at a new seat, but some in the GOP believe the ad could help the party keep it. Of course, some people think this election is pretty boring...