Democrats’ House majority swelled to at least 254 seats Thursday after the Associated Press called a Virginia district Republicans had held for nearly half a century.
asserted
Republicans → swell → century
The AP had called 253 races for Democrats and 155 for Republicans as of Thursday afternoon, including confirming the loss of Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY).
asserted
AP → call → Lawler
Additionally, Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) conceded his defeat though the AP hadn’t made it official yet.
asserted
it → concede → defeat
The last time Democrats held this big of a majority was after the 2008 election of President Obama when they notched 257 House seats.
asserted
they → hold → seats
Democrats could surpass that level once the remaining 27 races are called.
uncertain
races → surpass → level
Among the weightiest of Thursday’s calls was Virginia’s 1st District, where Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor, a Democrat, unseated Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) out of the office he had held since 2007.
asserted
he → unseat → 2007
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) — 12 terms in the House, a onetime mayor of Dayton and a former chairman of the Intelligence Committee — fell to Democrat Kristina Knickerbocker of Yellow Springs, who until this year had never voted in a partisan primary in Ohio.
asserted
who → fall → Ohio
The AP called the race Thursday afternoon, with Knickerbocker ahead by roughly 4,900 votes.
“I wish Kristina Knickerbocker every success,” Turner said in a statement.
asserted
Turner → call → statement
In Arizona’s 6th District, Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), who first won the seat in 2022, was denied a third term by JoAnna Mendoza, a Marine veteran making her first run for office.
asserted
who → win → office
Rep. Tim Moore (R-NC) — who spent a decade as speaker of the state House — lost the 14th District to Democrat LaKesha Womack after a single term.
asserted
who → spend → term
Rep. Addison McDowell (R-NC) fell to Democrat Cyril Jefferson in the 6th, and Rep. Brad Knott (R-NC) lost the 13th to Democrat Paul Barringer.
asserted
Knott → fall → Barringer
The state’s best-known Republican, meanwhile, is still stuck in purgatory.
asserted
Republican → know → purgatory
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), 83, trails Democrat Chuck Hubbard by 99 votes — a margin thin enough to entitle her to a recount under state law.
asserted
Foxx → trail → law
Two years ago, she beat Hubbard by 19 points.
asserted
she → beat → points
It was Rep. Richard Hudson’s (R-NC) job, as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, to see that Republicans did not lose House seats.
asserted
Republicans → see → seats
They have lost dozens, his own among them.
asserted
They → lose → them
Richard Ojeda, a retired Army major, beat him by about 6,000 votes.
asserted
Ojeda → beat → votes
Hudson conceded Wednesday, his 55th birthday.
asserted
Hudson → concede → ?
“Last night, the voters of North Carolina’s 9th District made their choice, and I respect it,” he said.
asserted
he → make → it
Lawler didn’t bother waiting for the AP; he conceded to Democrat Cait Conley on election night, with just over half the vote in.
asserted
he → bother → vote
“When all of the votes are counted tomorrow in Westchester, it’s going to be pretty clear that we will be short,” he told supporters.
asserted
he → count → supporters
Van Drew, who left the Democratic Party in 2019 pledging “undying support” to President Trump, conceded to Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock, a Democrat, the same night.
uncertain
who → leave → Mullock
San Francisco, meanwhile, has settled on its next congressman, even if the AP hasn’t.
asserted
AP → settle → congressman
San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan — retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) preferred successor — conceded the 11th District to state Sen. Scott Wiener on Wednesday.
asserted
Chan → retire → Wednesday
Pelosi praised Chan’s “courage, conviction and a deep love for San Francisco” and said her office “stands ready to assist in the transition.”
asserted
office → praise → transition
Wiener struck a conciliatory note: “We’ve had our disagreements, but we share a deep love for San Francisco and for our country.”
Unsettled, too, are two Senate races.
asserted
races → strike → country
In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom had stretched his lead over Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith to more than 1,700 votes by Thursday afternoon.
asserted
Colom → stretch → afternoon
The state hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1982.
asserted
state → send → 1982
Some 3,600 mail-in ballots remained outstanding as of Thursday morning, and voters have until Nov. 10 to fix problems with the affidavit ballots.
asserted
voters → mail → ballots
Mississippi has no recount process; a candidate who wants one would have to sue for it.
asserted
who → have → it
“We remain confident that when every legally cast vote is fully and accurately counted, Mississippians will have reelected Cindy Hyde-Smith,” her campaign said.
asserted
campaign → remain → Smith
In Alaska, former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) led Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) by 637 votes as of the latest count, with roughly a quarter of ballots still uncounted.
asserted
quarter → lead → ballots
Absent a first-choice majority, ranked-choice tabulation begins Nov. 18 — a fate that could also await Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK), who sits just under 50% in the House race.
uncertain
who → rank → race
Complicating matters further is a second Dan Sullivan on the ballot, retired Petersburg teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. The Justice Department sued, claiming he was a Democratic decoy; a judge dismissed the case, and the DOJ appealed.
asserted
DOJ → complicate → case
The namesake has pulled about 3,600 votes, more than five times the gap between Peltola and the senator.
asserted
namesake → pull → Peltola
The Aporia
