Republicans keep majority in House of Representatives

Republicans will maintain their slim grip on power in the House of Representatives giving President-elect Donald Trump and the GOP total control of Congress. The 'trifecta' in the U.S. government adds to the total annihilation of the Democrats in the 2024 elections and has sparked an internal civil war about how they move forward. It opens the door for Republicans to have unchecked power to push through all of their policies alongside Trump in his first two years in office.

Republicans officially got over the 218-seat threshold for a majority in the 435-member chamber over a week since the election. It will be the sixth time in 90 years that the party hasn't had control of a single arm of the federal government. The stunning clean sweep comes days after Trump's White House victory over Vice President Kamala Harris and Republicans successfully flipping the Senate with key wins in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana.

Republicans have maintained control of the House since the 2022 midterm elections. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is vying to keep the gavel he won a year ago after Kevin McCarthy was spectacularly ousted. It takes 218 for a majority in the 435-seat chamber, with three vacancies in Ohio, California and New York that will not be filled until special elections in 2025.

As Donald Trump celebrated his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris on Election Night, he also lauded the gains made by Republicans in the Senate, with an eye to retaining control of the House. 'It was amazing to look at all of those victories. Nobody expected that. Nobody,' Trump said about Republican victories across the country, citing the red wave giving Republicans a majority in the Senate. 'You have some great senators and some great new senators,' he said. 'And it also looks like we'll be keeping control of the House of Representatives.'

The final results of the congressional races are not conclusive, but Speaker Johnson flew to Palm Beach, Florida, to celebrate with the ex-president on Tuesday. 'I want to thank Mike Johnson. I think he's doing a terrific job,' Trump added.

Still, key races across New York and California were being closely watched in the Republican bid to hold the party's grip on power in the House. California Republicans survived tough challenges in that reliably blue state, while across the country in New York, Republican GOP representatives also overcame tough challenges.

In the end, the GOP was able to ward off the many Democratic challenges coast to coast. The outcome will force Democrats to rethink their strategy after believing they could turn the chamber blue. Previously, leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Hakeem Jeffries seemed bullish that they had the message needed to sway voters away from Republicans.

The newly elected congressional members will be officially sworn in during ceremonies in Washington come January 2025. With the majority already solidified in the Senate, the upper chamber has been mulling who will replace longtime leader Mitch McConnell, who announced he will not seek another stint as the GOP leader. This has opened up a race between Republican senators jousting to run the party under Trump.

Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, John Barrasso of Wyoming, John Cornyn of Texas and close Trump ally Rick Scott of Florida are all vying for the role. That internal chamber election will be held next week when Congress returns to Washington.

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