All eyes were on vote counts in pivotal U.S. House races Thursday as both politcal parties hoped to seize control of the lower chamber for 2025, a last chance at power for Democrats after former President Donald Trump claimed the White House early Wednesday while Republicans gained a majority in the Senate.
It will take 218 seats to rule the House, and although neither party had reached the threshold early Thursday the numbers appeared to favor the GOP. You can follow the latest results from coast to coast and check out the races in your state here.
Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump to concede the presidential race Wednesday and delivered her concession speech to a crowd of supporters at her alma mater, Howard University.
“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” Harris said. “We will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square, and we will also wage it in quieter ways, in how we live our lives, by treating one another with kindness and respect.”
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Defense Secretary Austin says military will stay out of politics
The Pentagon is committed to an orderly transition to a Trump administration and is ready to carry out “all lawful orders,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. Austin is a Biden appointee whose stint as secretary will end after Trump selects and wins Senate approval for a new secretary.
Trump, during his campaign, talked about facing an “enemy from within,” specifying some Democratic leaders.
Austin, in a memo to U.S. troops sent out on Wednesday night and publicly released Thursday, pledged that the military was ready to “stand apart from the political arena; to stand guard over our republic with principle and professionalism; and to stand together with the valued allies and partners who deepen our security.”
What roll will Vice President-elect JD Vance play in the Trump administration?
President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t talked much about how his second administration will operate, but Vice President-elect JD Vance appears to have at least two roles locked up: cheerleader and communicator.
“He is a feisty guy, isn’t he?” Trump said of his 40-year-old running mate during his victory speech Wednesday.
After securing the vice presidential nomination, Vance happily played the role of Trump’s attack dog as he barnstormed the 2024 swing states. He maintained an antagonistic presence on social media and called Harris “trash” − a nod to President Joe Biden’s “garbage” gaffe. The freshman Ohio senator also gave more media interviews than anyone at the top of the ticket − 152, according to his campaign − and turned press conferences into part of the show at his rallies.
“I know the president wants me to be involved in everything, and I certainly hope to be,” he told USA TODAY in September.
− David Jackson and Haley BeMiller
What kind of VP will Vance be? Trump’s cheerleader and top fighter
Power ‘trifecta’ could ease path for Trump, GOP
Republicans have won the White House and Senate and appear poised to retain their majority in the House. If that happens, what can voters expect from unified Republican control of all three power centers?
From swift appointments of Trump’s Cabinet choices to major changes in policy, Republicans in Congress are likely to use their leverage to advance Trump‘s priorities and will likely face few roadblocks from the Democratic minority. Trump’s policy priorities include curbing immigration and rolling back regulations on everything from home building to energy production.
− Riley Beggin
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GOP trifecta? What Americans can expect
Sen. Bernie Sanders says Dems ‘abandoned working class people’
Sen. Bernie Sanders is blaming the Democratic Party after Harris lost to Trump and Republicans gained control of the Senate. In a statement shared on social media, the U.S. senator from Vermont said party leadership must have “serious political discussions” about Latino and Black workers voting for Republican candidates.
“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders wrote. “While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.”
Sanders, 83, who runs as an independent but routinely aligns with Democrats, won a fourth Senate term on Election Day, defeating Republican challenger Gerald Malloy. He joined the Senate in 2007 after being elected in to the U.S. House in 1991. He unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in in 2016 and 2020.
− Anthony Robledo
What key states did Trump win on Election Day?
Trump won the first swing state called on election night, North Carolina. He also notched victories in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The former president also picked up Republican strongholds across the country on Tuesday, from Texas to Montana and South Carolina. He won a few states that used to be swing states but have trended further to the right in recent years, including Ohio and Florida.
− Marina Pitofsky
How Harris lost the election: The fatal flaws in a doomed election bid
What states did Harris win on Election Day?
Harris picked up Democratic strongholds across the country, from California to New York and Illinois. She also easily notched several New England states such as Vermont and Massachusetts, as well as the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.
− Marina Pitofsky
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Election 2024 live updates: Who will win control of the House?
