Control of US House hinges on handful of races after Democrats lose Senate, White House

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Neither party has yet reached the threshold to claim control of the US House of Representatives as of Friday, though both parties made group in the hunt to secure the needed 218 seats.

Since Thursday, Democrats have picked up eight seats to the Republicans' five, putting their totals at 199 and 211 respectively, according to a tally from The Associated Press. Just 25 races remain uncalled.

Congressional Democrats are preparing for the all but certain possibility that the House will be narrowly divided when the dust settles.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday evening that Democrats still have the opportunity to flip several seats in districts that have yet to be called, saying Democrats still have a "clear pathway" to controlling the chamber.

He pointed in particular to races that have yet to be called in California, Oregon and Arizona, saying there are eight races in total where Democrats are hoping to flip seats previously held by Republicans.

"Whatever happens with the majority in the next Congress, Democrats will be no shorter than 212 to 214 votes," he said during an interview with Spectrum News. "We’ve been able to withstand that presidential wave that broke against us."

Democrats are reeling after President-elect Donald Trump secured a blowout victory against Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, becoming the first Republican presidential nominee to win the popular vote in two decades.

That comes in addition to Republicans securing a significant majority in the Senate where they have so far picked up four Senate seats, and now hold 53 to Democrats' 45. Just two races remain to be called.

If Republicans are able to secure the House they will have successfully pulled off what is known as a "Red Wave" where in they claim uniform control of the White House and federal legislature.​​​​​​​