Democrats were projected to take control of the U.S. House after flipping more than two dozen Republican-held districts in the November 3 midterm elections. The party reached the 218-seat threshold for a majority, according to the Associated Press.
The gains included competitive suburban seats and districts that had long favored Republicans. The results also showed a mixed return for the parties’ efforts to redraw congressional maps ahead of the election: Democrats made several gains under new boundaries, while Republicans flipped one redrawn Democratic seat in Texas.
Gains spread across regions
In Missouri’s 2nd District, Democrat Fred Wellman defeated Republican Rep. Ann Wagner. Pennsylvania Democrat Janelle Stelson also won a rematch with Rep. Scott Perry in the 10th District, while J.D. Ford defeated Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz in Indiana’s 5th.
Democrats also captured seats in states where Republicans had recently held an advantage. Bobby Pulido defeated Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas’ 15th District, while Democrat Ben McAdams won Utah’s newly drawn 1st District. Republicans, meanwhile, picked up Texas’ 32nd District, where Jace Yarbrough beat Dan Barrios.
In California, Democrats won the five districts they had targeted for gains under the state’s redrawn map, according to CBS News. The changes included races in Northern California and the state’s Central Valley and Southern California.
Several results also reshaped state delegations. Iowa, which previously had an all-Republican House delegation, was set to send three Democrats and one Republican to Congress. The incoming representatives are due to take office with the next Congress in January 2027.
The seat count was not final when the results were reported: dozens of House races had yet to be projected. The majority outcome had been called, but remaining contests could still affect the final tally.
Reid Bentley