Control of the House has yet to be determined as a number of critical races remain too-close-to-call, leaving lawmakers — and voters — waiting to see which party will hold the majority next year.
Republicans had secured 214 seats in the lower chamber as of Thursday evening, with Democrats trailing at 200 seats, according to Decision Desk HQ. A total of 21 races have not yet been called: Democrats are leading in 13of the contests while GOP candidates are ahead in the other eight.
Republicans, nonetheless, are wasting no time in claiming victory even as the final tally remains unclear. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said the House is poised to remain in GOP hands, and he has already launched his bid to retain hold of the gavel.
Democrats, meanwhile, are holding out hope that they could eke out a razor-thin majority. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Thursday said “it has yet to be decided who will control" the House next year, pointing to ongoing ballot counting in Oregon, Arizona and California.
Here are the uncalled races to watch in the quest for control of the House.
California’s 21st congressional district
Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) is fighting for his political life in California’s 21nd congressional district in a race that has surprisingly emerged as a nail-biter this cycle.
Costa, a 10-term lawmaker, was leading Democrat Michael Maher, a former FBI agent, by 0.8 percentage points — or 1,009 votes — at the time of publication, according to Decision Desk HQ, with 58 percent of the vote in.
The race was never expected to be close. The district broke for President Biden by 20.3 percentage points in 2020, and Cook Political Report said the seat was a “solid Democrat.” A victory by Maher would flip the district red.
The current margin contrasts with that from 2022, when Maher challenged Costa for the seat. That year, Costa won handedly by 8.4 percentage points.
California’s 9th congressional district
Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.) is locked in a tight race against Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln (R) in California’s 9th congressional district, a contest that is threatening to end the incumbent’s tenure on Capitol Hill.
Harder, who was first elected to the House in 2018, was leading Lincoln by 1.4 percentage points at the time of publication, with 56 percent of the vote reported.
A victory by Lincoln, who has served as mayor of Stockton since 2021, would be a boon for Republicans: Biden won the district by 12.6 percentage points in 2020, making the district reliably blue. Cook Political Report had rated the district “likely Democrat.”
California’s 47th congressional district
The race to succeed outgoing Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) in California’s 47th congressional district is coming down to the wire, with Republican Scott Baugh, a former assemblyman, and Democratic state Sen. Dave Min running neck-and-neck for the seat.
Baugh, who previously served as the state's Assembly minority leader and Orange County GOP chair, was leading Min by 0.4 percentage points — or 1,133 votes — as of publication, with 76 percent of ballots reported.
A Baugh victory would flip the seat red and mark the first time the district has a GOP representative since 2003. Biden won the district by 11.1 percentage points in 2020. Cook Political Report rated the district a “lean Democrat.”
Porter opted against running for re-election to vie for the Golden State’s Senate seat, which opened up after the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) died last year. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) temporarily filled the seat. Porter, however, lost to Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in the........