With Victory In California, The GOP Captures The House

LOS ANGELES, CA — Republicans won control of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday with the victory of Rep. Mike Garcia in California's 27th District, the Associated Press projected.

Garcia's reelection in the northern Los Angeles district gives the party the 218 seats it needs to control the House. However, the GOP may yet pick up another couple of victories in California, giving the party a razor-thin majority with which to govern.

The release of thousands of votes in California's 27th District allowed the AP to determine that not enough votes were outstanding for Democratic challenger Christy Smith to overtake Garcia.

It took more than a week after the Nov. 8 midterm elections for Republicans to reach the minimum 218 seats needed to flip the House from Democratic control for the next Congress. The full scope of the party’s majority may not be clear for several more days — or weeks — as votes in competitive races are still being counted.

Democrats will finish with at least 210 seats but no more than 217. The outcome will thing on races in California.

In California's District 22. GOP Rep David G. Valadao, one of only two remaining House members to vote to impeach former President Donald Trump, was leading challenger Rudy Salas with 52.8 percent of the vote to Salas' 47.3 percent Wednesday. That is a difference of about 4,000 votes.

In the Central Valley's District 13, Republican John Duarte was trailing Democrat Adam Gray by less than 1,000 votes.

Valadao and Duarte remain Republicans' best chance to pad their slim lead. However, they still have hope in a couple of other Southern California races that remain too close to call.

In Orange County's 47th District, Democratic Rep. Katie Porter held the lead Wednesday, but it was a slim one. Porter led Republican challenger Scott Baugh by less than 7,000 votes. She'd garnered support from 51.4 percent of voters compared to Baugh's 48.6 percent.

In District 49, which straddles Orange and San Diego counties, Democratic Rep. Mike Levin led challenger Brian Maryott with 52.6 percent of the vote to Maryott's 47.4 percent.

The AP does not make projections and will only declare a winner in a race when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap.

Republicans have been angling to take over Congress from Democrats, who have controlled the Senate since 2021 and the House since 2019.

The party that controls the House is able to elect a new speaker. Taking power on Jan. 3, the GOP caucus will elect a new speaker, run every committee and decide what bills come to the House floor.

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has already unveiled his “Commitment to America,” a broad outline of economic, border security and other policies that the GOP would propose in the early days of the next Congress.

McCarthy won the nomination for House speaker on Tuesday, with a formal vote in January.

With the House under Republican control, it is possible that much of President Joe Biden's agenda would be effectively dead for the final two years of his term. Bills need to be approved by both the House and Senate to make it to Biden's desk.

The Associated Press and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.