House Republicans Begin 2024 with Narrower Majority as Trump Takes Office
House Republicans could start the new year with a one-seat majority, a slim margin that may make it difficult for the party to withstand dissenting voices as President-elect Donald Trump sets out to implement his agenda. The potential for a one-seat majority may be decided by a single congressional race in California’s 13th Congressional District, where Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., is fighting to keep his seat against Democrat Adam Gray. As of Monday afternoon, Gray leads Duarte by a few hundred votes, a margin of roughly 0.1%. California law requires counties to certify their election results by December 5.
The potential for a one-seat majority could be further complicated by the departures of three Republican lawmakers, who are expected to be replaced by special elections in April. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) resigned from the 118th and 119th Congresses to be considered for Trump’s attorney general, while Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) was tapped to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) was named national security adviser. These lawmakers’ departures will further whittle down the already narrow Republican majority.
House GOP Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., downplayed concerns about the slim majority, stating that the party can still deliver for the American people as long as they have a majority. “I don’t give a darn whether it’s 222, 225, 218. As long as we have a majority, we can deliver for Donald J. Trump for the American people,” he said in an interview.
However, a one-seat majority could still pose challenges for House Republicans, as it may enable different factions of the party to paralyze the chamber floor over disagreements on critical legislative issues. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., may have to navigate a tricky political situation as he presides over a one-seat majority.
