Democrats Trim GOP House Majority With CA Win

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Facts

  • Democrat Adam Gray defeated Republican incumbent John Duarte in California's 13th Congressional District by fewer than 200 votes, marking the final US House race to be decided in the 2024 election cycle. Election officials announced they had counted all the ballots on Tuesday.[1][2]
  • Gray's victory established the final House composition with Republicans holding 220 seats and Democrats controlling 215 seats.[3][4]
  • Gray, a former state legislator, campaigned on issues including water management, infrastructure improvements, renewable energy, and education to defeat Duarte, a businessman and major grape and almond farmer.[3][1]
  • Republicans' majority in the House will further be reduced when Reps. Mike Waltz and Elise Stefanik leave to join Pres.-elect Donald Trump's administration and former Rep. Matt Gaetz vacates his seat. Gaetz resigned from Congress when he withdrew his nomination to be Trump's attorney general.[5]
  • With Trump's victory in addition to Republicans winning majorities in the House and Senate, the GOP should be able to enact much of its agenda. But the slim House majority means the party can't suffer any defections.[6][5]

Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]Newsweek, [3]New York Post, [4]Independent, [5]Al Jazeera and [6]BBC News.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Washington Post and MSNBC. Republicans' boasts about a landslide victory should be stifled now that they hold the second-smallest House majority ever. Although the GOP will rush to pass some of its most egregious bills, their history of in-fighting — as well as the courage of some members to stop the most extreme of Trump's policies — will hopefully stall the GOP agenda before it can get off the ground.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by Newsmax and New York Post. Republicans know that advancing their agenda with a slim majority is going to be a team effort, but they're ready for the challenge. Working with the GOP majority in the Senate, Republicans are dedicated to doing the things the people elected them to do. Democrats should watch their rhetoric because gerrymandering is all that stood between Republicans and a bigger majority.