THE Republican Party has maintained control of the House of Representatives, completing a sweeping governing trifecta in Washington.
The GOP stronghold in the House and now Senate gives the party a free hand to allow President-elect Donald Trump to carry out his agenda once he takes office on January 20, 2025.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives were up for reelectionAFP – Getty
Democrats aimed to retake the House from the Republican strongholdAlamy
The stable Republican majority in the lower chamber was the first time in nearly a decade that the balance of power in the House did not flip after an election.
Before the official votes were certified, House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed optimism that his party could maintain the majority and help him keep the gavel.
“The latest data indicates that we will also hold – and likely grow – our Republican majority in the House,” Johnson said in a letter to constituents, according to the Associated Press.
All 435 House seats were up for reelection as Democrats sought to flip at least four seats to regain the majority in the lower chamber.
At least 23 district seats were considered toss-ups, including several contentious races in California and New York.
The Republicans have reached the threshold of 218 seats needed for a majority.
So far, the Democrats have 208 seats, and a handful of races remain to be called.
The GOP reached the threshold after the party clinched districts in Arizona and California.
Republican Juan Ciscomani was elected in Arizona’s sixth congressional district, while Ken Calvert won the race in California’s 41st District.
The race was called with Calvert 10,000 votes ahead of his rival Will Rollins. So far, 93% of the vote has been counted.
Meanwhile, Ciscomani prevailed by a margin of approximately 7,000 votes against rival Kirsten Engel.
The Republicans have held the majority in the House since the 2022 midterms.
But given how tight the final result could be, House Speaker Mike Johnson cannot lose too many GOP votes if he wants to get Trump’s legislation through.
Texas congressman Tony Gonzales has warned lawmakers have to deliver for voters.
He admitted that the House of Representatives can be chaotic.
“Anyone who thinks it’s going to be smooth sailing has never spent one day walking these halls,” he told NBC News.
“But it’ll be on us as members to actually go out and find a way to deliver.”
Meanwhile, president-elect Trump spoke to House Republicans during a trip to Washington DC where he met with commander-in-chief Joe Biden.
STORMED TO VICTORY
“I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s good, we got to figure something else,” he said.
Lawmakers have teased what might unfold in the next Congress.
Jim Jordan, who is chair of the House Judiciary Committee, warned “nothing is off the table” as reports swirl that the GOP could investigate Jack Smith.
Smith has led two federal probes against the president-elect.
Smith is set to resign before Trump takes office in January.
Trump has wasted no time since he stormed to victory in the presidential election, defeating Kamala Harris.
He picked up 312 electoral college votes, winning the crucial battleground states.
And he also cut into the margins in Democratic strongholds like New Jersey and New York.
Trump racked up double-digit margin victories in the Republican states of Florida and Texas.
Trump even flipped Miami-Dade County, which had not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988.
And the president-elect has been announcing nominations for his cabinet.
Donald Trump’s Cabinet Picks
In the days following his dominant Election Day victory, President-elect Donald Trump has begun carving out his future administation.
Here’s a list of Trump’s confirmed cabinet picks:
Susie Wiles – White House Chief of Staff
Stephen Miller – Deputy Chief of Staff
Bill McGinley – White House counsel
Tom Homan, ex-ICE acting director, – “Border Czar”
Elise Stefanik, Republican New York representative – Ambassador to the United Nations
Lee Zeldin, former New York representative – Environmental Protection Agency administrator
Marco Rubio, Republican Florida senator – Secretary of State
Kristi Noem, Republican South Dakota governor – Homeland Security Secretary
Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor – Ambassador to Israel
John Ratcliffe, former Texas representative – CIA director
Pete Hegseth, US Army veteran – Secretary of Defense
Mike Waltz, Republican Florida representative – National Security Advisor
Steven Witkoff, real estate investor – Middle East envoy
Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy – Department of Government Efficiency
Tim Scott, Republican South Carolina senator – Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
Tulsi Gabbard, former Hawaii representative – Director of National Intelligence
Matt Gaetz, Republican Florida representative – attorney general
Trump raised eyebrows when he nominated firebrand Florida lawmaker Matt Gaetz for the position of attorney general.
But, there is talk on Capitol Hill over whether Gaetz will actually be confirmed.
Republican lawmaker Max Miller, who represents Ohio’s seventh congressional district, branded Trump’s nomination “reckless” while Alaska congresswoman Lisa Murkowski believed it wasn’t a “serious” pick.
Trump nominated the former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel and loyalist Elise Stefanik as the US ambassador to the United Nations.
Nikki Haley is among the leading Republicans who will not be included in Trump’s cabinet.
Ex-Democratic lawmaker Tulsi Gabbard, Tesla mogul Elon Musk, and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have all been nominated for posts.
Musk and Ramaswamy will head up the Department of Government Efficiency.
During his trip to Washington DC, Trump and Biden enjoyed a two-hour meeting.
The pair exchanged a handshake in front of the press as they sat in front of a raging fire in the Oval Office.
Biden and Trump also shared a joke during the meeting.
Trump later told The New York Post that Biden was gracious and said the transition would be smooth.
Biden is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration.
SplashTrump addressed House Republicans on Wednesday[/caption]
ReutersFirebrand Republican Matt Gaetz has been nominated for the role of attorney general[/caption]
SplashBiden and Trump exchanged a handshake as they met at the Oval Office[/caption]