Democrats have won the 23 House seats they needed for a House majority — and then some, as they continue to score victories in districts represented by Republican members of Congress. Even a week after Election Day, Democrats are still racking up wins as votes get counted and close races are called.
The House battlefield was huge: Election forecasters considered more than 100 House elections to be competitive in the 2018 midterms, the vast majority of them held by the GOP. Democrats were buoyed by the backlash to President Donald Trump and a campaign focused on protecting Obamacare’s protections for people with preexisting conditions after the Republican effort to repeal the law last year.
Once the results began rolling in, it was clear Democrats were quickly winning Republican-held House seats. So far, Democrats have won 37 GOP-held seats for a net gain of 35 seats, more than the 23 they needed to take control of Congress. Democrats have lost two seats they previously held — one in Minnesota and one in Pennsylvania — but they still cruised to a new House majority. They could end up picking up nearly 40 seats when it’s all said and done, with a number of races yet to be called.
You can see all the results here, and we’re tracking the Democratic gains here:
