More than three weeks have passed since Election Day, but one congressional race has still not been called by the major networks.
Republicans have already secured control of the House of Representatives for another two years, but their majority will be slim. It is expected to become even tighter if the Senate confirms the two House Republicans whom President-elect Donald Trump chose for his Cabinet. The GOP has won 220 House races, with Democrats capturing 214 seats.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will have little room for defections on key votes when the new Congress convenes in January. That means he has to keep together a wide coalition—from staunchly conservative Trump allies to more moderate Republicans in competitive districts—a task that hasn’t always been easy over the past two years.
The Republicans’ lead will be smaller than after the 2022 midterms, and the outcome of the final uncalled race will determine just how many votes Johnson can afford to lose on legislation.
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California’s 13th Congressional District
The final uncalled race is in California, which is notoriously slow to count ballots. Elections in California, the most populous state, are conducted almost entirely by mail, and it takes longer to verify those ballots.
Democrat Adam Gray leads Republican Representative John Duarte by 182 votes in the Central Valley’s 13th Congressional District, which includes Fresno, Merced and Modesto.
In a November 20 statement, Gray’s campaign manager, Ben Rodriguez, said he was expecting a “photo finish” and that it is “critical that election officials continue their work without interruption so every voter’s voice is heard.”
In an interview with local news station KCRA earlier in November, Duarte stressed the importance of letting “every vote get counted,” saying he was optimistic that Trump flipped Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, both of which are in the district.
In California, recounts are only conducted if the voter who requests it is willing to pay for it, and recount requests must be filed five days after the election is certified. California’s deadline to certify its election results this year is December 5.
Two House races were called Wednesday afternoon.
Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks Wins in Iowa
Iowa Republican Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks was no stranger to close races—she won her first House race by only six votes in 2020, the closest federal race of the year.
Four years later, she again found herself in one of the last House races to be called, and one of the closest in the nation. But on Wednesday, the Associated Press (AP) declared her the victor in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, fending off Democrat Christina Bohannan, a state representative.
“I humbly thank the election officials, volunteers, and recount boards who worked tirelessly, even during this Holiday week. I’m honored & looking forward to get back to work in DC to lower prices at the pump, grocery store & prescription drugs, secure the border and help farmers,” the Republican congresswoman wrote in a post to X, formerly Twitter.
She led Bohannan by less than 1,000 votes, a much more narrow margin than her 7-percentage point victory two years earlier in the 2022 midterms.
The district consists of the southeastern part of the state, including cities like Davenport, Dubuque and Iowa City that keep the district competitive despite Republicans gaining ground in its more rural areas over the last decade.
Miller-Meeks was declared the winner following a recount triggered by the close nature of the race, which ultimately upheld her victory.
Bohannan congratulated Miller-Meeks in a statement to X.
“Although this is not the result we wanted, I am so proud of our campaign. We exceeded all expectations and turned a district that many pundits thought was unwinnable into one of the very closest races in the country. But what’s more important is that this was a campaign of values,” she wrote.
Michelle Steel Concedes in Close House Race
Republican Representative Michelle Steel conceded the race in California’s 45th District, where Democratic challenger Derek Tran held a 613-vote lead Wednesday afternoon. The district comprises Orange County and a sliver of Los Angeles County.
“From the moment I came to the United States, I knew that giving back to the country that welcomed me with open arms would be part of my future,” Steel wrote in a post to X. “Because of the opportunities offered by this great country, and God’s great blessings, I was able to go to college, start a family, and build my own American Dream.”
Tran earlier declared victory in the race and AP called it for him shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday.
“Only in America can you go from refugees fleeing with nothing but the clothes on your back to becoming a member of Congress in just one generation. Today’s count has made it clear: I am the winner of this race thanks to the resilience, spirit, and dedication of our #CA45 community and volunteers,” he wrote in a post to X on Monday.
Newsweek reached out to each campaign for comment via email.
Update 11/27/24, 5:40 p.m. ET: This article was updated to reflect that Miller-Meeks has been declared the winner in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District.
