Democrats retake the House of Representatives, ending Republican control, NBC and CNBC project
Democrats retook control of the United States House of Representatives in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to projections from NBC News, CNBC and MS NOW, a result that ends Republican control of the chamber and leaves a divided government for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term.
NBC News made its projection at 10:08 p.m., based on an analysis estimating about 244 Democratic seats, a figure that could still move. CNBC estimated at least 225 Democratic seats against at least 160 Republican seats; 218 of the 435 seats are needed for a majority. Democrats needed a net gain of only three seats to take the majority.
Among the wins that sealed the change of control were Democrat Rebecca Bennett's victory over Republican Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey's 7th District, plus Democratic wins in Kentucky's 6th District and in Colorado's 8th District, where CBS News projected Manny Rutinel over Republican Gabe Evans.
The result puts Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York on track to become House speaker when the new Congress is sworn in on January 3, giving his party subpoena power, control of committee agendas and the ability to block Republican legislation.
The Democratic victory comes on the same night the Associated Press declared Dominican-born Darializa Ávila Chevalier the winner in New York's 13th District: the first woman of Dominican origin in Congress will arrive in a Democratic-majority House. The Associated Press had not yet announced its own projection of House control at the time of this article, and control of the Senate remained undecided.
These are projections from the networks' decision desks, not certified official results, and the final composition could take hours or days to be established.
Photo: Archivo A Lo Claro