Who will win the House? The remaining competitive races to watch
WASHINGTON - As the dust begins to settle after Election Day, the battle to control a key branch of the U.S. government continues.
The GOP will control the White House and the Senate following President-elect Donald Trump's victory. However, with several races too close to call, control over the House of Representatives remains uncertain. As of Thursday afternoon, Republicans had the lead and were a handful of wins away from securing the majority.
All 435 House seats were up for election this year. Here is a look at some of the races we're still watching:
Arizona: Longtime congressman faces contentious reelection fight
Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., is in the midst of what many have called the most contentious election of his 13-year career.
As of Thursday at 1 p.m. EST, the Arizona lawmaker held a 2.8 percentage point lead over his Democratic opponent, Amish Shah, with under 70% of the vote counted so far.
Arizona (again): First-term Republican in neck-and-neck rematch
Also in Arizona, Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., currently holds a half-point lead over Democrat Kirsten Engel.
Their race, which marks the second time Ciscomani and Engel have faced off, remains too close to call. Ciscomani is seeking a second term and a win for him would boost Republicans looking to hold onto the House.
California: Veteran Republican in SoCal rematch
Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., is facing Democrat Will Rollins in their second match-up.
Calvert is the state’s longest-serving House member, having been in office since 1992. He is looking to keep his seat representing California’s 41st Congressional District, southeast of Los Angeles.
Colorado: Moderate Democrat faces rocky reelection race
Freshman Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., is seeking a second term, facing Republican Gabe Evans.
Representing a split electorate in an area north of Denver, Yadira has a reputation as a moderate willing to break from her party, including when she was one of six House Democrats who voted to condemn the Biden administration for its handling of the southern border.
Maine: Democratic incumbent competing in Trump district
Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat, is vying to hold onto his seat in a district occupying most of Maine north of Portland. He faces Republican challenger Austin Theriault, a state representative and former NASCAR driver.
Golden has represented Maine’s 2nd Congressional District since 2018. Voters in the primarily rural region have stuck with the moderate Democrat, while going for Trump in 2020 and backing him again in 2024.
Maryland: Republican trying to flip blue district without incumbent
With most precincts reporting, a tight margin remained Thursday between Democrat April McClain Delaney and Republican Neil Parrott in the race to represent Maryland's westernmost congressional district.
A lawyer whose husband previously represented the district, McClain Delaney worked in the Department of Commerce during the Biden administration. Parrott served in the Maryland House of Delegates for more than a decade. Both ran campaigns promising to govern with “common sense” and portraying their opponent as out of touch or extreme.
Ohio: Congress' longest-serving woman may eke out a win
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, has been in Congress for 41 years. As the legislature’s longest-serving woman, the 78-year-old Democrat is looking to win another term by defeating her Republican opponent, Derek Merrin.
Theirs is one of the closest matchups left to be called. As of Thursday, Kaptur was ahead by 0.3 percentage points with 99% of votes in.
Oregon: Democrat vies to unseat freshman Republican
Democrat Janelle Bynum’s challenge to first-term Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a Republican endorsed by Trump, resulted in a tight race that continued into Thursday.
Bynum, a state representative, is attempting to flip the seat representing suburbs and areas south of Portland. Both candidates are small business owners who promised to represent common interests and work across the aisle. The pair previously ran against each other twice in tight races in 2016 and 2018 for a state legislative seat that Bynum ultimately won.
Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@usatoday.com and follow her on X @rachelbarber_. Reach Savannah Kuchar at skuchar@usatoday.com and follow her on X @savannahkuchar.
(This story has been updated with more information.)