Final House Race Has Been Called: Here's Which Party Now Controls

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Republicans are predicted to keep control of the House of Representatives even though Trump is scheduled to return to the White House in January. Additionally, the GOP has taken control of the U.S. Senate, thereby gaining complete authority over Washington.

According to The Hill, Decision Desk HQ anticipated that the GOP would maintain the House after gaining its 218th seat on Monday, which is the number required for a majority in the lower house. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who became the leader of the House GOP in both legislative and campaign affairs, has won a major win with this result.

Republicans were successful in defeating several vulnerable Democratic incumbents while managing to retain some of their vulnerable seats, such as those held by Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.). Businessman Rob Bresnahan defeated Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), while state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.) ousted Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.).

Several GOP losses were mitigated by the reelection of Lori Chavez-DeRemer and three first-term New York Republicans, Reps. Anthony D’Esposito, Marc Molinaro, and Brandon Williams. The exact House breakdown is still unknown, and ballots are still being counted in several California seats. Republicans are expected to have yet another slim majority going into the next Congress, though. The final figures will significantly affect the House’s operations, Speaker Johnson’s political future, and the policies the Republicans can pursue.

Trump publicly acknowledged Speaker Johnson’s efforts in his victory speech from Palm Beach, Fla., saying that It also looks like we’ll be keeping control of the House of Representatives. And he wants to thank Mike Johnson. He also said that thinks that he’s doing a terrific job. The House GOP’s steadfast support for the Trump administration is reflected in visits to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and House GOP Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to celebrate his victory.

During the first 100 days of Republican control, top House Republicans have been working closely with Senate Republicans to fast-track legislative measures for Trump’s approval. These include extending Trump’s first-term tax cuts, increasing funding for the border wall, repealing climate policies, and promoting school choice.

Should Republicans gain unified control of the government, Speaker Johnson has made it clear that he intends to run for office again. However, some hard-line conservatives have opposed him. Earlier this year, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) attempted to remove him, though the effort was thwarted by House Democrats.

To retain the gavel, Johnson must secure a majority vote on the House floor when it convenes on January 3, 2025, which will require near-unanimous Republican support. In an October campaign trail interview, Johnson expressed hope for his party’s backing, saying that he hopes to have his party’s support for Speaker on the House floor. As a result of the GOP’s victory, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) was effectively denied the chance to become the first Black Speaker of the House.

With contested districts stretching from coast to coast many of which were not competitive in the presidential election—the race for the House was considered nearly as close as the White House race. Democrats had hoped to gain support from voters concerned about Republicans’ stance on reproductive rights. However, they would have needed a net gain of at least four seats to take control of the House.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) outlined several priorities for the House GOP’s campaign arm that bolstered election-related optimism, while he said in an election-day interview that they were able to make every dollar go farther by splitting the cost of television ads with candidates in a way that allowed them to benefit from lower candidate rates. Hudson also added that the NRCC had established over 40 battle stations or field offices.

Hudson added while stressing the importance of this strategy in recent cycles that we made a major investment in our ground game this time around.