Republicans will hold a slim majority in the House next year, with Democrats securing a final victory in California’s 13th District, further tightening the GOP’s ability to advance President-elect Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
Democrat Adam Gray defeated Republican Rep. John Duarte in a closely watched rematch in California’s Central Valley, NBC News projected Tuesday. The win gives Democrats 215 seats in the House to Republicans’ 220, reducing the GOP’s margin to just two votes on legislation if Democrats vote in unison. This narrow majority leaves little room for absences, internal disagreements, or unexpected vacancies.
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Duarte confirmed his concession to Gray in an interview with the Turlock Journal. “It’s been an honor to serve, and I respect the will of the voters,” Duarte stated.
Gray’s victory means Democrats gained one net seat in the 2024 elections, flipping nine Republican-held districts while Republicans flipped eight Democratic-held ones. The narrow majority underscores the challenges Republican leadership will face in navigating legislative priorities in a divided and tightly contested chamber.
The 13th District was one of three Democratic pickups in California, where Derek Tran and George Whitesides also defeated incumbent GOP Reps. Michelle Steel and Mike Garcia, respectively. Democrats secured additional flips in New York (three seats), Oregon (one seat), and the Deep South, where court-ordered redistricting maps in Alabama and Louisiana resulted in one new Democratic seat in each state.
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Republicans, however, made significant gains in other states. They flipped three seats in North Carolina due to new congressional maps, as well as districts in Pennsylvania, where they unseated Democratic Reps. Susan Wild and Matt Cartwright. The GOP also gained seats in Alaska, Colorado, and an open Democratic-held district in Michigan.
With a razor-thin majority, GOP leaders face an uphill battle to unify their caucus, especially on contentious issues. Any defections or absences within Republican ranks could jeopardize key legislative initiatives, making bipartisan cooperation or strategic compromises with moderate Democrats a potential necessity.
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