Tight races fuel uncertainty in final House elections
- Two House races in California and one in Iowa were recently declared with extremely narrow margins.
- Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks won her race, while Derek Tran defeated Republican Michelle Steel in California.
- The complexity of mail-in balloting in California could delay the final voteCounts, affecting House majority dynamics.
In the United States, close margins are delaying the calling of several Congressional races in California and Iowa, with the tightest race seeing just an 800-vote margin. On November 27, 2024, the Associated Press declared victories for Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican in Iowa's 1st Congressional District, and Democrat Derek Tran in California's 45th Congressional District, unseating incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel. After being declared the winner, Miller-Meeks celebrated a significant victory that followed a previous election won by just six votes. The complicated electoral laws in Iowa and California contribute to lengthy counting processes, especially when races are too close to call. In California, the situation is compounded by mail-in voting practices. California is one of only eight states that sends mail-in ballots to all registered voters, resulting in hurdles for election officials. Processing these ballots involves signature verification, duplicate checks, and the potential for resending damaged or improperly submitted ballots. Additionally, the state accepts postmarked ballots for up to a week after Election Day, elongating the final counts. Currently, two races are still undecided, with Republican Adam Gray narrowly trailing and fighting for the California's 13th congressional seat against Democrat Justin Duarte. Both Gray and Steel expressed their gratitude to their supporters during this challenging period. The Republican majority in the House could be impacted, with the chance that Republicans could start the new year with only a 220-215 majority. The finalization of these races will not only determine the composition of the House but also place heavy pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to unify votes within his party, especially for the upcoming necessary vote on January 3, 2025. With existing vacancies anticipated due to the resignation of several Republican representatives, every seat gained or lost becomes critical for future legislative strategies.