House Republicans are in a position to reach the 218 seats they need to turn the chamber yet midterm elections. As of Tuesday night, CBS News estimates that Republicans will win at least 217 seats, while Democrats are expected to win at least 211 seats.
With the GOP just one seat away from a majority, CBS News describes the race for control of the House of Representatives as likely to be GOP.
stay there Nine notable races to be called. Seven of them are disqualifications, and there is one seat that leans Republican and one that leans Republican.
As Election Day approached, Sarah Chamberlain, chair of the Republican Street Partnership group that works with more moderate House Republicans, predicted that Republican margins would come to “only two seats, and it shouldn’t be.”
“Honestly, this should have been a landslide,” she added.
In the primaries, Chamberlain’s group backed Republican candidates like Reps. Peter Meagher of Michigan and Jimmy Herrera Butler, House Republicans targeted by former President Donald Trump. Chamberlain argued that moderate and Labor candidates selected by her group would be more competitive in the general election, compared to other Whig candidates they beat and were on the ballot.
She said the issue of the candidate’s quality, as well as the disconnect between Trump and the rest of the Republican establishment, were causing the battle for control of the House to come close.
“I don’t think Trump is going to go very far,” Chamberlain said. “We just need to make better decisions with Trump. I think some of Trump’s nominees hurt us on Tuesday. That’s why we need to come together as a party and move forward.”