The Republican Party has won control of the U.S. House of Representatives, securing 218 seats in the national elections. This victory solidifies the GOP's control over Congress and the White House, creating a smoother path for the party to implement its platform. The Republicans had a narrow majority in the House going into the election, with 220 seats over the Democrats' 212, and three seats being vacant prior to Tuesday’s election.
The GOP's victory in the House represents a triumph for Speaker Mike Johnson, who has faced challenges in managing his conference over the last year. The House GOP often plunged into chaos and infighting, some of which was exacerbated by interventions and the behavior of some of the party's most outspoken supporters. The narrow majority meant that any one member could decide to stage a revolt or to break with leadership for personal political gain.
The Republicans took back the House by a slim margin during the 2022 midterm elections, flipping key seats in Washington, New York, and California. In 15 House races in 2022, winners came out on top by fewer than two percentage points over their opponents, and this year, seven of those races were rematches between incumbents and the same challengers.
The GOP's control of both chambers of Congress means that President-elect Donald Trump will have a path to enact an agenda that could profoundly change America, including sweeping tax cuts, hardline immigration enforcement, and a transformation of domestic and foreign policy.