House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) raises the gavel on stage before the start of the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Images
NBC News predicted Wednesday that Republicans would maintain the House majority.
The prediction comes a week after Republican President-elect Donald Trump won a decisive presidential election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, giving Republicans a majority in the Senate.
Heading into the election, House Republicans aimed to expand their razor-thin majority of 220 seats compared to the 212 held by Democrats.
This tenuous Republican majority gave Democrats high hopes of flipping the chamber. They needed to win just four seats to regain control, as the vacancy meant the total number of votes in the chamber was less than 435.
Democratic Party condemned Republican rivals in all but one of the 26 House races are rated as “close races.” Amy Walter and Cook’s Political Reportaccording to an NBC News analysis of October campaign finance data. Democrats also outperformed Republicans in key electoral contests from July to September.
Despite massive fundraising efforts, Democrats failed to win the 218 seats needed for a House majority.
In Pennsylvania’s 8th District, Republican Rob Bresnahan defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright, and in Pennsylvania’s 7th District, Republican Ryan McKenzie defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Susan Wilde. These two elections were particularly fiercely contested.
In the battleground state of Michigan, Republican Tom Barrett won the vacated seat in the 7th Congressional District, previously held by Democrat Elissa Slotkin, who declared victory in the Michigan Senate race.
The one-party-controlled Congress has a number of important legislative issues to consider, including whether to extend the $3.3 trillion Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is set to expire next year. President Trump signed the first bill into law in 2017 and has said he wants to not only extend the tax cuts but also pursue further cuts.
Also Preparing for Congress This is an extension of enhanced subsidies under former President Barack Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act, which expires at the end of 2025. A fight over the debt ceiling is also looming.
