Congress will still be controlled by Republicans in the new year.
The GOP will retain control of the House of Representatives, as well as the U.S. Senate, The AP projected early Wednesday.
The result in the House isn’t unexpected. The Democrats had to clear the significant hurdle of the Republican party’s 60-seat majority margin. Leading up to election day, it looked increasingly unlikely the Democrats would take back the 30 seats necessary to gain a majority. The AP reports that Republicans won at least 218 seats by early Wednesday, November 9, to maintain control.
Republicans have had a majority in the House since 2011. In the current 114th Congress, there are 246 Republican representatives to 186 Democrats (the House has three vacancies due to two resignations and a death). A party needs a majority of 218 of the 435 seats to have control of the house.
The Republican victory means that the Speaker of the House gavel stays in the hands of Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan. Ryan took office as Speaker in 2015, after the John Boehner's resignation.
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