Democrats Flip Final House Seat: Republicans Hold Slim Majority in Stunning Turn of Events
Democrats won Tuesday’s last uncalled election in California, giving Republicans a slim majority in the US House of Representatives next year. With a narrow victory in California’s 13th congressional district, Democratic candidate Adam Gray’s party now holds 215 members in the lower house of Congress, while Republicans hold 220. The trifecta of the House, Senate, and presidency—last attained at the beginning of Donald Trump’s first term in 2017—will provide the president-elect considerable authority to carry out his policies on immigration, the economy, and other important matters.
However, Republicans may still find it difficult to get enough votes for several measures given their slim House majority. The US House of Representatives’ composition on December 4, 2024, is depicted in a hemicycle chart with 220 Republicans and 215 Democrats. A majority requires 218 seats. When a party gets 218 seats, which the Republicans did, they have a majority in the 435-seat body. Nearly a month after Americans cast ballots on November 5, the Central Valley of California hosted the nation’s last congressional election. It is common for some contests to be called days or weeks in advance.
According to CBS News, a US partner of the BBC, Gray defeated Republican incumbent John Duarte by a margin of less than 200 votes. It demonstrated that the region was “ready for independent and accountable leadership that always puts the Valley’s people ahead of partisan politics,” according to Gray. In the presidential race, Trump crushed Kamala Harris in each of the seven heavily watched swing states, giving him a commanding lead as he launched an unprecedented comeback by any defeated president in contemporary history.
Trump has pledged to act quickly during his first 100 days in office, including initiating the mass deportations of undocumented immigrants from the United States. Additionally, the president-elect is anticipated to benefit from at least two years of minimal legislative supervision, as the next midterm elections are scheduled for 2026. Although Republicans may still find it difficult to get enough votes in the Senate for some measures due to the close margins, the election results also give Democrats less power to oppose programs they oppose.
The House majority may be further eroded by Trump’s appointment of several Republican members, including Michael Waltz and Elise Stefanik, to important positions in his upcoming government. Trump friend Matt Gaetz resigned from the House, leaving one vacancy open. After days of deliberation on whether a committee should publish a report on the sexual misconduct charges against him, Gaetz withdrew from Congress, despite being positioned to become the next attorney general. He denied any impropriety.
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