Republicans hold on to a 218-213 House majority with a special election looming
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Republicans held on to a slim 218-213 House majority.
But House Speaker Mike Johnson shouldn’t expect much reinforcement anytime soon.
The shocking early House retirement this month of MAGA Firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and the unexpected death of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California continued to narrow the GOP’s margin in the chamber.
And that has House GOP leaders holding fast to party positions and file members.
FEAR OF A DEMOCRATIC TAKEAWAY GROWS AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS TAKE A THICK MAJORITY
Representative Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, participated after being re-elected as Speaker of the House, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025 at the US Capitol. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“They better be here,” Johnson said recently of his members. “I told everyone, not jokingly, I said, no adventure sports, no risk taking, take your vitamins. Stay healthy and be here.”
And the office of House Majority Whip Tom Emmer confirmed that he is advising members that “except in life and death situations,” they expect Republican lawmakers to be on Capitol Hill.
REP. LAMALFA’S DEATH HAS REDUCED HOUSE REPUBLICAN MAJORS
There are currently four vacant House districts, which means four special elections to fill seats. But it is the Democrats rather than the Republicans who are likely to benefit the most from the results of the ballot box in the short term.
Here’s a look at some of the top picks:
January 31st
Voters in Texas’ Democrat-controlled 18th Congressional District, which covers the city of Houston and surrounding areas, go to the polls on the last day of January to choose a successor to fill the seat left vacant when Rep. Sylvester Turner passed away last March.
Democratic Congressman Sylvester Turner of Texas died on March 5, 2025. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Democrats Christian Menefee, a former Harris County attorney from Houston, and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards are facing charges in the special election. They are the top two players in the field of 16 who faced each other in the first election in November.
When Texas redraws its congressional maps for the 2026 midterms, as part of a tough redistricting battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans against Democrats, the special election will use current district lines.
FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY WARNS MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE ‘WITCH IN COAL MINES’
The winner of the special election will give Democrats one more member of the House, giving the Republican leadership another headache.
February 5
11 candidates are running in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.
This seat was left vacant after Gov. New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill resigned after winning the Garden State’s November election.
The then Democratic Rep. Mikey Sherrill stepped down from Congress in November after winning election as governor of New Jersey. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican running in the April 16 special election.
The state of northern New Jersey leans left, and Sherrill won re-election in 2024 by 15 points, which is how he carried the state in November’s presidential contest.
PRESS LETTER: HOUSE EXODUS THREATS JOHNSON’S PARTNERSHIP AS MORE THAN 40 MEMBERS MAY LEAVE.
But then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just eight points in the 2024 presidential election, giving the GOP hopes it could flip the seat.
March 10
22 candidates, including 17 Republicans, are running in the special election in the 14th Congressional District, in the race to replace Greene.
Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned from Congress on Jan. 5, 2026. (Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
According to Georgia state law, all candidates shall run on the same ballot. If no candidate tops 50 votes, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held on April 7.
The northwest Georgia state is solidly Republican, with Greene winning re-election in 2024 by nearly 30 points and Trump carrying the state by 37 points.
June 2
Primary Day in California for the 2026 election will also include the basis for a special election in the state’s first congressional district, in the race to fill LaMalfa’s seat. The general election will be held on August 4.
Republican Representative Doug LaMalfa of California died on Jan. 6, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The state, in northeastern California, is solidly Republican.
Similar to Texas, California is also changing its congressional maps as part of the redistricting battle, but the special election will be held under current district lines.
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The White House and congressional Republicans have criticized Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision not to hold a special election to fill LaMalfa’s seat until August, six months after the congressional shutdown.
But Democrats complain in the same way about Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas is not planning a special election to fill Turner’s seat until eight months after the late lawmaker’s death.
Elizabeth Elkins of Fox News contributed to this story.
