Republicans will hold a majority in the U.S. House following the midterm elections, according to projections by Decision Desk HQ. The result comes a week after the polls closed, due in part to the election laws in states with the tightest races.
The result that clinched the projection for the GOP was California’s third district. As of 6 p.m. ET, Republicans are projected to hold at least 218 seats, which is the minimum for a majority.
Republicans needed to gain six House seats to secure a majority to take legislative power away from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Democrats, and deliver a potential blow to President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Republicans were able to flip House seats in Virginia, where Republican Jennifer Kiggans beat Democrat Elaine Luria. In Florida, Republican nominee Laurel Lee beat Democrat Alan Cohn in a newly drawn district and Republican Neal Dunn beat Democrat Al Lawson in one of only a handful of elections nationwide that pitted incumbents against each other.
Republicans were expected to win control of the House for much of the election cycle, as the party that controls the White House typically loses a chamber, or both chambers, of Congress during midterm elections.
In fact, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced his bid for Speaker of the House well before the race was called.
