The House of Representatives Is Democrats' Last Hope to Block ...

While Republicans reclaimed the White House and Senate in a series of decisive Tuesday victories, it could be days before we know if they maintained their House majority. Republicans currently control the lower chamber, as they have since 2022. But with all 435 seats up for grabs this year—and with a string of closely-watched races in at least a dozen states, including California and New York—Democrats had hoped to retake the House by flipping a few key districts.

Democrats and Republicans are both expected to flip some seats, though the Associated Press has only called a few of the more competitive districts so far. Republicans picked up Michigan’s 7th District Wednesday morning, retaking the seat vacated by Democrat Elissa Slotkin. They are also projected to flip a seat in northeast Pennsylvania, near Scranton, where incumbent Democrat Susan Wild conceded Wednesday morning even before it was called.

Democrats, meanwhile, picked up two districts in upstate New York, unseating first-time Republican incumbents Brandon Williams and Marc Molinaro. New York Republicans successfully defended another competitive seat on Long Island.

Nearly 50 races are still outstanding as of Wednesday afternoon, including competitive contests in Arizona, California, Maine, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Republican incumbents Don Bacon of Nebraska and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania were leading in their respective races Wednesday, with 99% of the vote reporting. In Virginia’s 7th District, the seat previously held by Democrat Abbie Spanberger, Democrat Eugene Vindman led his Republican opponent, Derrick Anderson, by more than 8,000 votes, with 99% of the votes in. Election officials have warned it could be days or weeks before the vote is fully tallied in some other races.

The stakes could not be higher for Democrats, who now face the possibility of a Republican trifecta in the White House, House, and Senate. Such a rout would pave the way for President-elect Donald Trump to pursue his ambitious and radical agenda with virtually no outside checks. Democratic control could impede some of his other campaign promises. But, no matter how the House shakes out, the president will have significant power to act unilaterally on issues such as foreign trade and immigration.