Currently, Republicans hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives with a balance of 218 seats compared to the Democrats’ 212. However, the final margin of this narrow majority will not be known until the five remaining undecided races are called. These races are in Alaska, California, Iowa, and Ohio. In Alaska’s at-large district, Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola is trailing Republican entrepreneur Nick Begich by nearly 3 points with 98% of the vote counted. In California’s 13th Congressional District, Republican Rep. John Duarte is leading former Democratic state assembly member Adam Gray by a small margin of 2,000 votes with 86% of the vote counted.
In the 45th Congressional District of California, Democratic challenger Derek Tran has taken a slight lead over Republican incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel with just a 36-vote margin and 94% of the vote counted. In Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, Republican incumbent Rep. Mariannet Miller-Meeks holds a less than 1% lead over challenger Christina Bohannan with 99% of the vote counted. Bohannan has requested a recount as the margin is close enough to trigger one, although Miller-Meeks has declared victory. In Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur leads her Republican challenger Derek Merrin by less than 1 point with 99% of the votes counted.
It is important to note that races with a margin of 0.5% or less trigger an automatic recount in Ohio. The outcome of these undecided races will determine the final makeup of the House of Representatives as Republicans seek to maintain their majority. In the California races, both the 13th and 45th Congressional Districts are tightly contested with small margins separating the candidates. In Iowa, the 1st Congressional District is also very close, with the potential for a recount. Similarly, in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, the race is within a narrow margin, which could lead to a recount being triggered.
As the final five undecided races in the House of Representatives are called, both Republicans and Democrats are closely watching the outcomes to see how the balance of power will shift. The current majority held by Republicans is tenuous, and the outcome of these races could have significant implications for the legislative agenda moving forward. The slim margins in these races show the importance of every vote cast and how even the smallest shifts can impact the balance of power in Congress. In the coming days, the final results of these races will be determined, shaping the composition of the House of Representatives for the upcoming term.
