Republicans Are 4 Seats Away From Retaining House Majority

The U.S. House of Representatives chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 5, 2023. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON—The GOP is inching closer to keeping its majority in the House of Representatives.

As of publication time, there are 17 races that have yet to be called by The Associated Press as it is 214–204. The election was held on Nov. 5. A party needs 218 seats to control the House. In the current Congress, the GOP has the majority at 220–212.

With the House majority, the GOP would have unified control of Washington beginning in January 2025, having clinched the White House and Senate.

California

There are numerous congressional races in California that have yet to be called.

In the 9th Congressional District, Rep. Josh Harder (D-Nev.) leads Kevin Lincoln, 51.2 percent to 48.8 percent.

Similarly, Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.) leads Democrat Adam Gray, 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent, in the 13th District. Duarte, who was first elected in 2022, was one of two Republicans to vote against a hawkish border bill in 2023 that passed the House.

Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) leads Republican Michael Maher, 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent, in the 21st District. Costa has been in Congress since 2005.

Over in the 22nd District, Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) leads Democrat Rudy Salas 53.6 percent to 46.4 percent. Valadao, who is in his second stint in Congress, is one of two Republicans remaining in Congress that joined eight other Republicans in impeaching then-President Donald Trump in 2021 over the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.

In a closer race, Democrat George Whitesides leads Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), 50.9 percent to 49.1 percent, in the 27th District. Similarly, Democrat Dave Min leads Republican Scott Baugh, 50.45 percent to 49.55 percent, in the 47th District.

But in a race with a wide margin, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) leads Republican David Serpa, 56.1 percent to 43.9 percent, in the 39th District, which is heavily Democrat.

Meanwhile, in the 41st District, Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) leads Democrat Will Rollins, 51.4 percent to 48.6 percent. Calvert has been in Congress since 1993.

In another race where the GOP looks to hold on, Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) leads Democrat Derek Tran, 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent, in the 45th District.

Lastly, Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) leads Matt Gunderson, 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent, in the 49th Congressional District.

Other Western Races

Republican Nick Begich leads Democrat Mary Peltola, 49.4 percent to 45.4 percent, in Alaska’s only congressional district. Peltola has been in Congress since 2023.

In Washington’s 4th Congressional District, which will remain in GOP hands, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) leads Jerrod Sessler, 52.6 percent to 47.4 percent. Newhouse, chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, the largest caucus in Congress, has been in Congress since 2015 and is the other Republican remaining in Congress who impeached Trump over the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) leads Kirsten Engel, 49.1 to 48.54 percent, in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District. Ciscomani was first elected in 2022.

In Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, Republican Gabe Evans leads Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Calif.), 48.98 percent to 48.2 percent.

Democrat Janelle Bynum leads Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), 47.8 percent to 45 percent, in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District. Chavez-DeRemer was first elected in 2022.

The Non-Western Races

It’s not only out west where there are uncalled races.

In Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) leads Derek Merrin, 48.14 percent to 47.82 percent.

Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) leads Democrat Christina Bohannan, 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent, in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District.

In New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, Rep. Jared Golden (D-N.H.) leads Republican and former NASCAR driver Austin Theriault, 49.94 percent to 49.75 percent.

Democrat Cleo Fields leads Republican Elbert Guillory, 50.8 percent to 37.7 percent, in Lousiana’s 6th Congressional District. Whoever wins will succeed Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), who opted not to run for re-election.

The House GOP is scheduled to hold a press conference on Nov. 12 to celebrate “Republican election victories in the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and White House.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has laid out general terms of what the House GOP majority will do with unified control of Washington.

Though he has not gone into specifics, he told CNBC ahead of the election that his conference, if they keep the majority, would repeal part of the Inflation Reduction Act as “there’s a few provisions in there that have helped overall.”

“Health care reform is going to be a big part of the agenda. When I say we’re going to have a very aggressive first 100 days agenda, we got a lot of things still on the table,” he said.

Johnson said the House GOP would confront the Chinese communist threat, roll back regulations, extend and build upon the 2017 tax cuts, and secure the border.