As Republicans gained a majority in the U.S. Senate, control of the U.S. House of Representatives remained unclear early Wednesday morning, with many of the most competitive races still uncalled.
With Republicans in control of the Senate and Trump leading in the counting of electoral votes, the stakes for control of the House of Representatives have increased, as it could serve as the sole Democratic check on a Trump presidency, or as the eventual Republican victory that would deliver a unified victory. pro-Trump administration.
Republicans had made progress when the first results in the battle for the House of Representatives were announced. Republicans led 187 to 161 at 1 a.m. ET, according to the Associated Press. Republicans in North Carolina had won three seats previously held by Democrats, while Democrats in Alabama and New York flipped seats.
The US may have to wait days to find out who won the House of Representatives, as it took more than a week to make that call in 2022.
All 435 members of the House of Representatives are up for re-election, with Republicans looking to expand their slim majority after two chaotic years in power.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson was re-elected to a fifth term in the House of Representatives. It is believed that he is likely to continue in his leadership role if Republicans can maintain control of the House.
Republicans won two uncontested seats in Kentucky, including right-wing firebrand Thomas Massie, and posted comfortable victories over Democratic challengers in Indiana. But control of the House of Representatives appears to be a real challenge, as Democrats only need to win five more seats than in 2022 to regain their majority.
Democrats picked up their first additional seat in New York state, where Democrat John Mannion defeated Republican Congressman Brandon Williams, according to the Associated Press.
So far, both Democrats and Republicans have gained seats as a result of redistricting, the process of adjusting district lines to keep pace with population changes, with Alabama Democrat Shomari Figures winning a district that had been changed to become a to ensure fair representation for black voters, while Republicans in North Carolina flipped three districts that had been redrawn by the Republican-controlled state legislature.
Democrats also flipped two seats in New York state, with Democrat Josh Riley, an attorney, defeating Republican incumbent Marc Molinaro, and John Mannion, a Democratic state senator, defeating Republican incumbent Brandon Williams.
Ten of the most contentious House races are in California, where Democrats must flip at least one Republican seat to gain a majority, according to the Associated Press.
Without control of the House of Representatives, the winner of the presidential race — whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump — will face significant hurdles in implementing a legislative agenda. Election forecasts suggest that both parties could win a majority of just a few seats, which could recreate some of the problems of the 118th Congress.
Related: US elections 2024: 10 key House races to watch
In 2022, the ‘red wave’ that Republicans had promised did not materialize, leaving the party with a majority in the House of Representatives of only four seats at the beginning of 2023. That narrow margin allowed a small group of far-right Republicans to wreak havoc on the speaker’s race, forcing Kevin McCarthy to endure 15 rounds of voting before capturing the gavel.
But just nine months later, McCarthy was removed from the speaker’s chair following a rebellion by eight members of his own conference. McCarthy’s impeachment ushered in weeks of chaos, with the House of Representatives at a complete standstill until Johnson, then a relatively unknown lawmaker, was chosen to lead the chamber.
In recent months, Republicans have had to present themselves to voters for another two years in power after overseeing the most unproductive Congress in decades. Democrats have sought to capitalize on Republicans’ legislative record as they try to rebuild a majority in the House of Representatives, warning voters of the dangers of continuing the “dysfunction.” in Congress.
“You all saw it from day one, with fifteen rounds of presidential elections [and] threats of shutdowns,” Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, chair of the House Democrats’ campaign arm, told Axios in August. “Those are the things that drive people crazy at home.”
If Democrats can flip just a handful of Republican seats, Hakeem Jeffries, the current House minority leader, is expected to take over. But despite Republicans’ checkered record, Johnson has expressed confidence that his party will retain control of the House of Representatives.
“I believe we will keep and grow the majority in the House of Representatives, win the Senate and also win the White House, and we will put Donald Trump back in power,” Johnson said in September.
Regardless of who wins the majority in the House of Representatives, the new Congress will immediately be faced with a task of major consequence when its members take office in January: certifying the results of the presidential election. In 2020, Trump supporters infamously attacked the Capitol in a failed attempt to disrupt the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s victory, and lawmakers have raised concerns about the possibility of similar political violence after Election Day.
Read more about the Guardian’s 2024 US election coverage
