Democrats’ path to regaining control of the House of Representatives narrowed as more races were called on Wednesday and Thursday.
The party needs a net gain of four seats to regain the majority in the House of Representatives of Congress.
So far, Democrats have flipped five Republican seats: New York’s 4th, 19th and 22nd congressional districts, as well as Alabama’s 2nd and Louisiana’s 6th. The last two pickups were the product of a court-ordered reapportionment that created new, majority-black seats.
But at least three of those pickups have been offset by defeats elsewhere. Democrats have lost control of Pennsylvania’s 7th and 8th congressional districts, as well as Michigan’s 7th. Democrats are also likely to lose a seat in Alaska, where Rep. Mary Peltola (D) trails Republican Nick Begich by four points with about 75% of the votes counted.
It is still possible for Democrats to gain the 218 seats they need to control the House of Representatives, but they will lose at least six of the eight Republican Party-held swing seats in California, Arizona and Oregon that have yet to be filled. are convened, must overthrow.
Those eight seats are: Arizona’s 1st and 6th congressional districts; California’s 13th, 22nd, 27th, 41st and 45th districts; and Oregon’s 5th District.
While votes were still being counted Thursday evening, Democrats are currently in the lead in just two of those seats. In sixth place in Arizona, Democrat Kirsten Engel was about 200 votes ahead of Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R), with more than a quarter of votes in Democratic-leaning Pima County, home to Tucson, yet to be counted as of Thursday. evening.
In Oregon’s 5th District, a seat that stretches from the Portland suburbs to Bend and surrounding areas, Democratic state Rep. Janelle Bynum led Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R) by more than 2 percentage points, with nearly 80% of the votes were counted.
At the same time, Democrats are still in danger of losing existing seats, as the fate of a number of Democratic-held swing seats remains undetermined.
In Washington’s third party, Democratic Rep. led. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez defeated Republican Joe Kent with 87% of the votes counted. In Colorado’s 8th seat, Democratic Rep. led. Yadira Caraveo edged Republican Gabe Evans by just under a percentage point, with 88% of the votes counted. In Maine’s second-place state, Rep. Jared Golden (R) led Republican state Rep. Austin Theriault by less than half a point, with more than 95% of votes counted. And in California’s 47th place, the Orange County seat vacated by Rep. Katie Porter (D), Republican Scott Baugh led State Senator Dave Min (D) by less than a quarter of a percentage point, even as more than three-quarters of the vote was cast. counted. .
But after an election that saw the Senate and the presidency called for Republicans within hours of the end of voting, the mere fact that no decision has yet been made on control of the House of Representatives makes the Chamber a small bright spot for the Democrats. Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur, one of five Democrats in the House of Representatives in seats held by Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, won reelection. Two others – Gluesenkamp Perez and Golden – are well positioned to do the same.
“In a challenging electoral climate, Democrats in the House of Representatives are once again defying political gravitas,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement Thursday. “Over the past two years, we have repeatedly put people over politics and focused on lowering costs, growing the middle class and keeping our communities safe. In the new Congress, Democrats in the House of Representatives will continue to govern with common sense and conviction.”
