As Americans line up to cast their votes on Election Day, the majorities of both houses of Congress are in play as voters weigh a midterm check on unified control of government in Washington -- President Donald Trump's hold on the White House and Republican majorities in the House and Senate the past two years. Republicans hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate and are rallying to preserve them with just days until Election Day. Democrats, on the other hand, are trying to make inroads into some traditionally red areas in hopes of picking up crucial seats.
In the House, all 435 seats are on the ballot for two-year terms in the 120th Congress. Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana currently holds a historically narrow majority: 218 Republicans alongside a single independent, Representative Kevin Kiley of California, who filed for reelection without party affiliation but continues to generally support the speaker on the floor. Democrats hold 214 seats. There are also two vacancies in the House following the April resignations of lawmakers with ethics issues -- former Texas Republican Representative Tony Gonzales and former Florida Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who attempted a comeback but was rejected by voters in an August primary.
That's a lengthy way to explain that on Election Night, Johnson effectively begins with a 220-215 edge over Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
In the Senate, 35 of the upper chamber's 100 seats are on the ballot for six-year terms, including 13 Democratic and 22 Republican seats sprinkled across the political landscape. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Republicans currently hold a 53-45 edge over Senate Democrats, who also have two independents that caucus with them, pushing the current minority to 47 seats. Thune could afford to have a net loss of three GOP seats and still retain the majority, given Vice President JD Vance’s constitutional power to break tie votes in the Senate.
For Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats to flip the majority, however, they'll need to amass a net gain of four seats.
Click here for a more detailed look at the key House races.
Click here for more details on the key Senate races.
