(The Center Square) – Republicans this weekend moved closer to securing a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, which would give the GOP a trifecta in the federal government and a smoother path to adopting key legislative priorities.
As of Sunday, Republicans have won 216 House seats to Democrats’ 209, with 10 races still undecided. Republicans need to win at least two of those remaining 10 races to get to or surpass the 218 needed for a majority.
According to The Hill, Democrats lead in two of those remaining 10 races while Republicans lead in the other eight.
Republicans already hold a majority in the U.S. Senate with 53 seats secured to Democrats’ 46. In the one remaining Senate race yet to be called, Democrat Ruben Gallego leads Republican Kari Lake in Arizona.
And, of course, Republican Donald Trump won the White House and is now president-elect. Trump completed a sweep of the seven key swing states Saturday night when he was declared the winner of Arizona, as The Center Square previously reported. Trump also won in battlegrounds North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada.
The Arizona win lifted Trump’s Electoral College vote count to 312, well surpassing the 270 needed to win the presidency. Vice President Kamala Harris took 226 electoral votes.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson imbued confidence in a post on X Friday.
“The American people have spoken and given us a mandate. We will be prepared to deliver on day one,” Johnson, who is seeking to reclaim his speakership roll when new House members are sworn in in January, wrote. “With Republicans in control, we will secure the border, grow our economy, restore American energy dominance, and end the radical woke agenda. America’s best days are ahead of us.”