Republicans have solidified their control of Washington by retaining control of the House of Representatives.
President-elect Donald Trump’s overwhelming victory in the presidential race, coupled with GOP control of the Senate, made it clear Tuesday that Republicans flipped both the White House and Senate.
Monday, as more totals emerged, what some commentators predicted might be the only place Democrats would have a majority appeared to be won by the GOP, which is currently projected to have 218 seats, while Democrats will have 209 seats, according to Decision DeskHQ. (There are still more races to be called.)
“We’re going to hold the House,” an unnamed senior GOP campaign official said Wednesday, even before final totals were announced, according to CNN. “The question is about what the size of the majority is right now.”
It takes 218 seats for either party to have a majority in the 435-member House.
Republicans went into the elections with 220 seats, according to the House Press Gallery website. Democrats had 212 seats, with three vacancies.
The Hill noted that Pennsylvania, a swing state that went big for Trump in this year’s elections, boosted the GOP’s chances of retaining control.
Republican state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie toppled Democratic Rep. Susan Wild.
Rob Bresnahan, a local businessman, defeated Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright.
Did you expect Republicans to keep the House of Representatives?
Yes: 94% (91 Votes)
No: 6% (6 Votes)
The GOP also retained a Pennsylvania seat Democrats had their eyes upon as Republican Rep. Scott Perry defeated Democratic challenger Janelle Stetson.
“As more results come in it is clear that, as we have predicted all along, Republicans are poised to have unified government in the White House, Senate, and House,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
“House Republicans have been successful in securing critical flips in swing states including Pennsylvania and Michigan, while our battle-tested incumbents have secured re-election from coast to coast. The latest data and trends indicate that when all the votes are tabulated, Republicans will have held our majority, even though we faced a map with 18 Biden-won seats,” Johnson said in a statement.
Republicans won the open seat in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin left the seat behind to run for the Senate. Republican Tom Barrett defeated Democrat Curtis Hertel, according to NBC. Slotkin has been projected to win her race, according to CNN.
Before the election, Trump made waves by saying he and Johnson had a “little secret” designed to boost the GOP’s chances in the House.
Johnson later joked about the furor Trump ignited, according to The Hill.
“It’s nothing scandalous, but we’re having a ball with this. The media, their heads are exploding. ‘What is the secret?’” Johnson said.
“It’s thing we have about — it’s a get-out-the-vote. It’s one of our tactics on get-out-the-vote,” Johnson said.
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