By Jordyn Britton and Vida Poyner-Chillious
Howard University News Service
The country’s most recent election cycle mirrored that of Shonda Rhimes’ political soap “Scandal.” With the presidential contest overshadowing other elections entirely, congressional races proved to be as cutthroat, with many states still not being called one week after the 2024 election.
Control of the U.S. House of Representatives has yet to be fully decided. With 14 House races remaining, Republicans have reached the 215-seat mark, while Democrats sit at 206 with 218 votes needed to win.
“Never in my 30 years have I seen House races take this long to decide who won and determine who gets to be Speaker of the House,” said Sonya Ross, founder of BlackWomenUnmuted.com and a former White House correspondent. “So right now, it is looking as if there may be a Republican victory.”
As the races are still pending, states like California are experiencing tight margins and slow vote counts. California’s 9th, 13th, 21st, 22nd, 41st, 45th, 47th and 49th districts remain particularly close.
Republicans are leading four of those races (Districts 13, 22, 41 and 45) while Democrats lead in the remaining four. In swing states like Arizona, one seat remains with the Republican candidate, Juan Ciscomani, currently winning by 189,693 putting him 4,906 votes ahead of the Democratic candidate, Kirsten Engel.
While races are still being called, Michigan’s 7th District and Pennsylvania’s 7th and 8th Districts have flipped, allowing Republicans to gain three more seats. The last of the House race results are being reported across the country, and control of the chamber is still up for grabs.
In the Senate, this election season proved historic with two Black women being elected for the first time nationally and in their respective states: Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware.
Depending on the outcome of the lingering congressional races, the Republican Party will be in a position to have a monopoly on all branches of government — not only the Senate, U.S. Supreme Court and Oval Office, but also the House of Representatives.
Jordyn Britton and Vida Poyner-Chillious are reporters for HUNewsService.com.
