GOP Clinches Houses Majority, Ups Seat Tally to 219

After Newsmax projected an official clinching of the House majority of at least 218 seats, Republicans have upped their total to 219 with the official victory declaration of Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif.

Calvert is a long-serving House GOP member in the deep-blue state of California.

There was a flip away from Republicans in the state as Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., has officially lost his seat to Democrat George Whitesides.

That sets the latest House tally at 219 Republicans and 210 Democrats with six races remaining too close to call. Republicans lead in three of them.

Breakdown of the remaining races:

• California (five seats): Districts 9, 13, 21, 45, and 47. Republicans lead in Districts 13 and 45.

• Alaska District 1: Republican Nick Begich leads incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, in a ranked-choice voting state that would flip a seat to the GOP.

Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., held on to defeat Democrat challenger Kirsten Engel in Arizona's District 6, Newsmax is projecting, which clinched the 218th seat for Republicans, assuring the majority.

Democrats had been hoping to capture control of the House to blunt Republicans' grip on both the presidency and the Senate. In last week's election, Donald Trump recaptured the White House, while the GOP claimed the Senate majority 52-47 with one race (Pennsylvania) yet to be called by Newsmax.

Majority control is likely to smooth the way for enactment of the many elements of Trump's new administration, including plans for a large-scale deportation of illegal immigrants and tariffs on various foreign countries' products.

Trump is also expected to put forth a number of judicial appointments, which would likewise face a smoother road to passage under a GOP-controlled government. That is expected to include one or more Supreme Court justices.

The projection is a major victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who rose from relative obscurity to lead the House in both its legislative agenda and its push for Trump's reelection, according to The Hill.

Vulnerable Democrat incumbents like Susan Wild and Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania were toppled, though the GOP did suffer some losses of its own. Three of its freshmen New York lawmakers, Reps. Anthony D'Esposito, Marc Molinaro, and Brandon Williams, lost reelection bids.

The final House tally is unclear, as some races in California remain to be called. The ultimate margin, The Hill said, could make a difference in how Johnson handles the House and how much he is able to achieve.

House and Senate Republicans have been working up a legislative plan for Trump's first 100 days under total GOP control, Johnson told Newsmax on Election Night.

"Those include extending the tax cuts passed in Trump's first term, boosting border wall funding, repealing climate initiatives, and promoting school choice," the Hill said.

Another issue is sure to be whether and how to continue support for Ukraine in its effort to repel a Russian invasion. Many in the GOP have raised questions over the continued allocation of resources to this foreign conflict.

Eric Mack ✉

Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.

© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.