The House of Representatives is up for grabs Tuesday as Democrats try to wrest control from Republicans, who have enjoyed power in the chamber for the past four years but are facing formidable political headwinds.
asserted
who → try → headwinds
The outcome will set the tone and sway the direction of the final two years of President Donald Trump’s tenure in the White House, with Democrats vowing to aggressively investigate his administration if they win control of the House.
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they → set → House
And while Republicans were able to advance signature Trump priorities on party-line votes over the last two years, Democrats would have a say in any major congressional action if the House flips.
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House → advance → action
Democrats must flip a net of three seats to win the 218 needed for a majority.
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Democrats → flip → majority
Republicans attempted to give themselves some cushion by redrawing congressional maps around the country over the past year and a half.
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Republicans → attempt → year
But historical trends are working against them, as the president’s party typically loses seats in a midterm year.
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party → work → year
And polls leading up to Election Day showed deep voter dissatisfaction with Trump overall and across a range of issues, most notably his handling of the economy and the cost of living amid the Iran war and the administration’s tariff agenda.
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polls → lead → war
While House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who could become the first Black speaker if Democrats win control of the chamber, has tried to tamp down expectations of a blue wave, he has predicted his party will emerge from the election with a majority.
uncertain
party → become → majority
“I also refer to Nov. 3 not simply as Election Day, but as judgment day,” Jeffries said at a weekend campaign rally for former Rep. Elaine Luria, who is trying to win back her old seat from GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans in Virginia.
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who → refer → Virginia
“The American people are going to judge these MAGA extremists and run them out of town for what they’ve done to our economy, to our military, to our families, our farmers and to the American people all across the country.
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they → go → country
Still, Democrats have had to navigate challenging terrain in an unpredictable election cycle.
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Democrats → have → cycle
In addition to Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting efforts, which Democrats were able to partially counter with a redrawn map in California, many of the seats Democrats are targeting are in districts that Trump won in 2024.
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Trump → counter → 2024
After those redistricting changes, just eight Republicans represent districts that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried two years ago, while 21 Democrats sit in seats in districts that Trump won.
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Trump → represent → that
Yet, in the closing stretch of the campaign, top Republican outside groups threw in the towel on a handful of once-competitive races.
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groups → close → races
In mid-October, Republicans nixed millions of dollars in ad reservations meant to support vulnerable Reps. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, who represent battleground districts that Trump carried in 2024.
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Trump → nix → 2024
Instead, they shifted the money to other races.
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they → shift → races
GOP groups also slashed hundreds of thousands of dollars in ads last month from Nebraska’s 2nd District, which Harris carried two years ago.
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Harris → slash → which
Moderate Republican Rep. Don Bacon represents the district but announced his retirement, making it difficult for the GOP to hold the seat.
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GOP → represent → seat
Down the home stretch, Jeffries criss-crossed the country, stumping with candidates in California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
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Jeffries → criss → California
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., trying to protect his paper-thin majority, campaigned in many of the same battleground districts.
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Johnson → try → districts
The speaker, a close Trump ally, warned that a Democratic victory would lead to nonstop investigations and a rollback of key pieces of the signature piece of legislation the Republicans passed during the first two years of Trump’s second term, the “big beautiful bill.”
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Republicans → warn → term
“If this crazy group of Marxist Democrats took over, you can kiss your freedom goodbye. …
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you → take → freedom
They would spend every waking hour for the next two years investigating the president, the Cabinet, leaders in business and industry.
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They → spend → business
It would be retribution,” Johnson said at a campaign event for Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., one of the cycle’s most vulnerable Republicans who represents a Harris-won district.
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who → say → district
“We cannot go down that road,” Johnson added.
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Johnson → go → road
The Aporia
