Control of the House of Representatives is still undecided, with many key races still being decided by close margins, with MPs and voters waiting to see which party will hold the majority next year.
But the spurt for 218 seats is nearing its final stages, with several follow-up elections called in the days following election night.
As of Friday night, Republicans held 216 seats in the House, followed by Democrats with 208, according to Decision Desk Headquarters. A total of 11 races have yet to be called, but Democrats are leading in three races. Republican candidates are in the lead in eight other races.
Still, Republicans are wasting no time in claiming victory, even though the final tally remains uncertain. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has said he is prepared to keep the House in Republican hands and has already begun efforts to maintain control of the gavel.
Democrats, on the other hand, remain hopeful of winning a slim majority. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Thursday that “we still haven't decided who will control” the House next year, noting that vote counting continues in Oregon, Arizona and California. .
Several House races have been called in the past few days, including the reelection of Rep. David Schweikert (R) in Arizona's 1st Congressional District. Reelection of Congressman David Valadao (R) in California's 22nd Congressional District. April: McClain Delaney (Democrat) is elected in Maryland's 6th Congressional District. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (D) was re-elected in Oregon's 6th Congressional District. Congresswoman Julia Brownlee (Democrat) was re-elected in California's 26th Congressional District. and the re-election of Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D) in California's 38th Congressional District.
Here are the uncalled races to watch as you seek control of the House.
California 21st Congressional District
Congressman Jim Costa (D) is fighting for his political career in California's 21st Congressional District, and it's been a surprisingly painful campaign.
Costa, a 10-term lawmaker, received 63.8% of the vote, giving him a one-point lead (1,303 votes) over Republican Michael Maher, a former FBI agent, according to Decision Desk Headquarters.
It was never expected that the race would be so close. The district went to President Biden by 20.3 percentage points in 2020, and Cook Political Report rated the seat as “solidly Democratic.” If Maher wins, the district will go deep red.
The current narrow margin is in contrast to the narrow margin in 2022, when Mr. Maher challenged Mr. Costa's seat and lost by 8.4 percentage points.
California 9th Congressional District
Congressman Josh Harder (D) is locked in a close race with Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln (R) in California's 9th Congressional District, a race that will end the incumbent's term in Congress. There is a risk of hitting.
Mr. Harder, who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018, led Mr. Lincoln by 2.4 percentage points (4,024 votes) with 63.8% of the vote.
A victory for Lincoln, who has been Stockton's mayor since 2021, would be a boon for Republicans. In 2020, Biden won the district by a margin of 12.6 percentage points, making the district firmly blue. The Cook Political Report rated the district as “likely Democratic.”
California 47th Congressional District
The race to succeed retiring Rep. Katie Porter (D) in California's 47th Congressional District is a close race between former Rep. Scott Baugh, a Republican, and Democratic state Sen. Dave Ming. are.
Mr. Baugh, who previously served as state House Minority Leader and Orange County Republican Party Chairman, led Mr. Minn by 0.4 percentage points (1,078 votes) with 81.7 percent of the vote at press time.
If Mr. Baugh wins, the seat will be red and the district will have a Republican for the first time since 2003. In 2020, Biden won the district by a margin of 11.1 percentage points. The Cook Political Report rated the district as “Democratic-like.”
Porter has chosen not to run for re-election to the Golden State Senate seat vacated by the death of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein last year. Sen. LaFonza Butler (D) is temporarily filling the seat, but was elected not to run for a full term. However, Mr. Porter lost in the Democratic primary to Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
Alaska Statewide Congressional Districts
U.S. Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola (D) is fighting for political survival in Alaska's vast congressional district, currently trailing Republican entrepreneur Nick Begich in the voting state. are.
At the time of publication, Mr. Begich had 74% of the vote, leading Mr. Peltola 49.6% to 45.6%. Alaska Independence Party candidate John Howe secured 3.9% and Democrat Eric Hafner received 1%.
The only district in Alaska is one of the few that President-elect Trump won in 2020, making it a key district for Republicans. That same year, Trump beat Biden in the state by 10.1 points.
The Cook Political Report called the campaign a “disastrous failure.”
Arizona 6th Congressional District
The race in Arizona's 6th Congressional District was extremely close.
First-term Rep. Juan Siscomani (R-Ariz.) led former Democratic state Rep. Kirsten Engel by 1,795 votes (0.5 points) with 83.3% of the vote.
This area is extremely purple. In 2020, Biden won the region by a margin of 0.1 percentage point.
The Cook Political Report called the campaign a “disastrous failure.” The race will be a rematch from last cycle, where Cisco Mani narrowly defeated Engel by 1.4 percentage points.
California 13th Congressional District
Republican Rep. John Duarte is leading former Democratic state Rep. Adam Gray in California's 13th Congressional District, but the race remains uncontested.
Mr. Duarte, a first-term lawmaker, received 61.9 percent of the vote, giving him a 2.5 percentage point lead over Mr. Gray.
The race is one of the most-watched races this season, with Democrats hoping to eliminate Mr. Duarte in this district after losing 10.9 percentage points to Mr. Biden in 2020. However, the party failed to achieve this feat in 2022. He received just 564 votes, beating Gray by 0.42 percentage points.
The Cook Political Report called this year's race a “disastrous failure.”
California 27th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) is running narrowly against Democrat George Whiteside, the former CEO of Virgin Galactic and chief of staff at NASA during the Obama administration. They are in the lead, but the numbers are close.
Mr. Garcia led Mr. Whiteside by 0.4 points (973 votes) with 80.8% of the vote.
Mr. Garcia's victory will come as a sigh of relief among Republicans who have been under pressure to defend their seats amid strong Democratic efforts. Democrats see this district as their biggest opportunity to gain support, citing the fact that they beat Biden by 12.4 percentage points in 2020.
The Cook Political Report called the campaign a “disastrous failure.”
California 41st Congressional District
Congressman Ken Calvert (R) is fighting hard to retain his seat in California's 41st Congressional District.
Calvert, a 30-year veteran of the House of Representatives and a cardinal on the Appropriations Committee, led Democrat Will Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, by 2.8 percentage points with 75% of the vote.
This area has emerged as an important battleground. In 2020, his approval rating exceeded Trump's by 1.1 points. The Cook Political Report called this year's race a “disastrous failure.”
Mr. Calvert currently holds a narrow lead over his 2022 victory over Mr. Rollins. That year, Calvert beat his Republican challenger by 4.6 percentage points.
Colorado 8th Congressional District
In Colorado's 8th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Yadira Carabeo is narrowly trailing Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans, but the race remains close.
With 89.5 percent of the vote, Mr. Evans leads Mr. Carabeo by 0.8 percentage points (2,529 votes), a narrow margin that would represent a reversal for the Republican Party if it held.
Cook Political Report rated the seat a “toss up.”
California 49th Congressional District
Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) is close to winning two more years in Congress, but his race has not yet been announced as more votes are counted.
Levin, a three-term congressman, received 82.8% of the vote, giving him a 3.2 point lead (9,784 votes) over Republican businessman Matt Gunderson.
The Cook Political Report rated the seat, which is in a district that Biden won by an 11.4 percentage point margin in 2020, as “lean Democratic.”
California 45th Congressional District
The race has not yet been announced, but Rep. Michelle Steele (R-Calif.) maintains a comfortable lead over Democratic Rep. Derek Tran.
With 78.9% of the vote, Steele, a two-term lawmaker, beat Tran, a consumer rights lawyer, by 2.9 points (7,590 votes).
The district is one of 17 districts won by Biden in 2020 that is currently held by a Republican, making it a top candidate for Democrats. Biden won the region, which includes Orange and Los Angeles counties, by a 6.1 percentage point margin in 2020. Cook Political Report rated the seat a “toss-up.”
Updated on November 9th at 8:43am
