Republicans are just one seat away from taking the House of Representatives as Democrats’ slim hopes of retaining the majority were nearly extinguished after several more races were called in favor of the GOP on Monday.
The GOP has won 217 seats to the Democrats’ 204. Five races were called in favor of Republican candidates on Monday evening by The Associated Press and other outlets.
Uncalled Races
California, the country’s most populous state, has more undetermined contests than any other, according to an AP analysis. Ten races remain to be called there, with millions of votes left to count. There are also close races in Colorado and Maine, among others, including some tight enough that they could be headed to a recount.Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) is currently leading her opponent by about 900 votes in Colorado’s 13th Congressional District. Her race is currently uncalled with 99 percent of the vote counted.
In Alaska, where incumbent Democrat Mary Peltola won a special election this summer to fill an open House seat held for decades by Republicans, a second round of vote tabulating could take place. That’s because Alaska has ranked choice voting in which voters rank candidates. If no one gets more than half of the votes cast on or before Nov. 8, the person with the fewest votes gets eliminated and voters’ choices count toward their second pick.
What Comes Next
While Republicans failed to capture dozens more seats in a “red wave,” GOP House candidates still garnered about 6 million more votes than their Democrat counterparts. The Republican Party also notched an upset win after Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), the head of the House Democrat election arm, lost his race to Republican newcomer Mike Lawyer in a congressional district that is located just north of New York City.Republicans will likely have the narrowest majority of the 21st century. It could rival 2001, when Republicans had just a nine-seat majority, 221-212 with two independents. The results could complicate House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy’s plans to become speaker as some conservative members have questioned whether to back him or have imposed conditions for their support.
Despite its underwhelming showing, the GOP will still see its power in Washington grow. Republicans will take control of House committees, giving them the ability to shape legislation and launch probes of President Joe Biden, his family, and his administration.
There’s particular interest in investigating the overseas business dealings of the president’s son Hunter Biden, who has been accused of using his father’s name to land business deals with shady figures. Some of the most conservative lawmakers have raised the prospect of impeaching Biden, though that will be much harder for the party to accomplish with a tight majority.
With such a slim majority in the House, there’s a potential for legislative chaos. The dynamic essentially gives an individual member enormous sway over shaping what happens in the chamber. That could lead to particularly tricky circumstances for GOP leaders as they try to win support for must-pass measures that keep the government funded or raise the debt ceiling.
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