Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff
C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter covering science and geopolitics.
The control of the US House of Representatives remains undecided, but Republicans appear to be moving closer to securing the majority needed to take charge.
As of Friday morning, the party was only a few seats away from reaching the 218 seats required for a majority in the House.
The Senate and the White House have already shifted to Republican leadership, positioning President-elect Donald Trump to have substantial authority to advance his political plans after his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
Holding the House majority would grant Republicans the ability to initiate spending bills and start impeachment proceedings against government officials.
Under Trump, a unified Republican Party could more easily push through tax cuts and introduce border control measures.
Here are some of the races that have yet to be called.
California: Democrats hope to gain five more seats
Democrats are watching five key races in California, hoping to gain seats that could help them win back control of the House.
Challengers aim to unseat incumbent Republicans and turn these districts blue, but polls show tight races with Republicans holding small leads.
The key races include:
- California’s 45th District: Incumbent Republican Michelle Steel is leading against Democrat Derek Tran.
- California’s 27th District: Democrat George Whitesides is challenging Republican Mike Garcia, with Garcia holding a narrow lead.
- California’s 41st District: Republican Ken Calvert is ahead in his race against Democrat Will Rollins.
- California’s 22nd District: Democrat Rudy Salas is up against Republican David Valadao, who has a small lead.
- California’s 13th District: Incumbent Republican John Duarte is leading against Democrat Adam Gray.
Arizona: two toss-up seats
There are two closely-watched races in this swing state.
Republican Juan Ciscomani, the Republican, appears to be neck and neck with his Democratic challenger, Kirsten Engel, in Arizona's 6th district, located in the south-east corner of the state.
In Arizona's 1st district, David Schweikert has a slight lead over Democratic challenger Amish Shah. This district covers north-eastern Maricopa County, outside Phoenix.
Maine: Democrat looks to defend seat in toss-up race
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Jared Golden is fighting to keep his seat in Maine's 2nd congressional district - one of two congressional districts in the state. This encompasses the majority of the state north of Augusta and Portland.
Golden is currently leading in the race against his Republican challenger, Austin Theriault. Almost all votes have been counted.
Ohio: Democrat leads by less than one point
Democrats are looking to hold onto one seat in Ohio's 9th congressional district, which encompasses Toledo in the state's north.
Incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who has served in Congress since 1983, narrowly leads in the race against her Republican challenger, Derek Merrin, with almost all votes now counted.
