Control of the House of Representatives remained undecided the morning after the midterms despite predictions that the GOP would win a majority.
Recent predictions show Republicans with 200 seats — a four-seat gain — and Democrats holding 180 seats. Races across the U.S. remain too close to call and may take days or weeks to be confirmed. A total of 218 seats is necessary to claim a majority in the next Congress.
GOP members hoped to take charge of the lower chamber and stop a Democrat-controlled Congress by putting up a roadblock to President Joe Biden’s increasingly progressive plan, as has been the situation the past two years.
A Republican-led House would likely also trigger investigations into actions by the president’s family and the Biden administration.
The final makeup of the Senate is also unknown as many races, including those in Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Arizona, still need to be called. The Senate is currently divided 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting tiebreaking votes.
One positive takeaway for Republicans is that the party looks to be making positive gains with younger voters. A CNN comparison of 2018 and 2022 exit-polling data showed that Democrats saw a 15-point decrease among voters aged 30-44, while the party saw a 7-point decline in support among those voting between 18-29 years old.
The GOP needed to retain all seats already held and flip five House seats to win the majority. However, Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert had fallen behind Democrat Adam Frisch’s 50.88% to 49.12%, with 89% of the vote already counted. Rep. Boebert isn’t the only representative in hot, yet-called races.
In New Mexico, Democrat Gabriel Vasquez was ahead 50.26% to Republican Representative Yvette Herrell’s 49.74%, with 93% of the votes tallied. Democrats held seats in districts from Kansas to Virginia to Rhode Island, while seats in states like California and New York had yet to be called.
“While many races remain too close to call, it is clear that House Democratic Members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations across the country,” said Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.
Early Wednesday, Reuters reported that based on an analysis of the leading nonpartisan forecasters, only 12 of the 53 most competitive races had been decided. Experts predict the final calls on several close races will not be known for a while. As it stands, Democrats are projected to be winders in 10 of the 12 contests.
Several factors, including counting ballots and processing and election rules in some crucial swing states, could also add to delays in the release of election results.
Candidates in close races may cause further delays by filing lawsuits that challenge the election processes. Several individuals running for office have declined to say if they will accept the election results.
Key races that have been decided
The progressive “Squad” members were re-elected in their respective districts, including Representatives Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Cori Bush, D-Mo.
Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer defeated Tudor Dixon in Michigan in gubernatorial races, and Stacey Abrams conceded to Republican Brian Kemp in Georgia. In New York, Republican George Santos flipped the 3rd Congressional district race.
Four Senate seats have yet to be decided, with Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia up for grabs. “Ballot glitches” in Arizona’s Maricopa County are causing delays, with some results expected later Wednesday.
Stocks trended lower as election results continued to be counted, with investors waiting on a significant inflation update due later in the week and the outcome of the midterms. According to exit polling, the most critical issues for voters included inflation, crime, border security, abortion, immigration, and threats to democracy.
