The slim majority that House Republicans eked out on Election Day is in danger after President-elect Donald Trump poached multiple lawmakers for his Cabinet.
So far, Trump has nominated Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Mike Waltz (R-FL), and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to his incoming administration, the latter of whom has already announced his resignation from the House. Republicans are projected to claim 221 seats in the House, but with Waltz, Stefanik, and Gaetz vacating their seats, that dwindles their majority to 218 — causing some in the conference to grow wary of the prospect of an even thinner majority than the one they currently hold.
Part of the uncertainty comes as eight House races remain too close to call, the outcomes of which could give Republicans more or less breathing room in the next session of Congress.
Four of the eight races are projected to go to Republicans — the seats of Reps. John Duarte (R-CA), Michelle Steel (R-CA), Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK), and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA). The remaining four — the seats of Reps. Jim Costa (D-CA), Josh Harder (D-CA), Marcy Kaptur (D-CA), and Jared Golden (D-ME) — are projected to stay in Democrats’ hands.
But Gaetz’s registration is also posing problems for Republicans in the present Congressional session where Republicans hold a 220-213 majority with two vacancies: the seat of the late New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. and Gaetz’s seat. With this majority, Johnson can only afford to lose three votes to pass legislation along party lines.
