Dems flip final congressional seat 1 month after Election Day



Democratic challenger Adam Gray defeated Republican incumbent Rep. John Duarte in California's 13th congressional district on Tuesday, one month after Election Day.

Gray unseated the freshman GOP lawmaker by just 187 votes, making this rematch a reversal of their 2022 face-off.

California's 13th congressional district was the final congressional race to be called, solidifying the partisan split in the House. Republicans now hold 220 seats while Democrats hold 215.

The Republican majority is expected to be even slimmer at the start of the 119th Congress due to three expected vacancies.

"I'm honored to become the Congressman-elect for California's 13th Congressional District," Gray said in an X post on Tuesday. "The final results confirm this district is ready for independent and accountable leadership that always puts the Valley's people ahead of partisan politics."

"But the work has just begun," Gray continued. "In Washington, I'll work every day to deliver the resources that the Valley needs: clean water, better educational opportunities, stronger infrastructure, and more good-paying jobs. And you can count on me to build bipartisan relationships to accomplish these goals."

Democrats also flipped California's 45th congressional district, with Democratic challenger Derek Tran defeating incumbent Republican Rep. Michelle Steel, chipping away at the GOP's already slim majority in the House.

The Republican majority is expected to be even slimmer at the start of the 119th Congress due to three expected vacancies.

Former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida resigned in November amid his bid for attorney general, although he later withdrew. Republican Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida is also set to resign on January 20, Inauguration Day, after being tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as national security adviser in the upcoming administration. Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York was also recruited by Trump to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, although she has not yet confirmed when she will resign.

The two Florida seats are set to be filled via special election on April 1.

If all three seats are simultaneously vacant, Republicans will be operating with a slim majority of 217 while Democrats hold 215 seats. Under these circumstances, Republicans could afford to lose only one single vote from their party.

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'Un-American': Trump Cabinet Picks Face Violent Threats, Including One 'Sent In With a Pro-Palestinian Themed Message'

Multiple people tapped to serve in President-elect Donald Trump's administration are facing threats on their and their families' lives, the Trump transition team announced Wednesday, with Lee Zeldin, Trump's pick for EPA administrator, saying the threat against his family came with a "pro-Palestinian themed message."

The post 'Un-American': Trump Cabinet Picks Face Violent Threats, Including One 'Sent In With a Pro-Palestinian Themed Message' appeared first on .

3 House races that still have not yet been called



Although it has been over three weeks since Election Day, there are three House races that are still up in the air.

Republicans have secured their slim House majority of 219 seats while the Democrats have won 213 seats. While the GOP is expected to hold onto yet another narrow majority, several Republicans have been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to serve in the upcoming administration. With potential House vacancies on the horizon, every race remains crucial for Republicans.

While Republicans have secured a majority in the upcoming 119th Congress, the narrow advantage is shrinking.

In California's 13th congressional district, Republican incumbent Rep. John Duarte is hoping to fend off Democratic challenger and former Rep. Adam Gray. The two candidates are currently less than 200 votes apart, with Gray inching ahead of Duarte.

Gray previously represented California's 13th congressional district from 2012 to 2022 when Duarte unseated the Democrat. Duarte defeated the then-incumbent by just 564 votes, making him the first Republican to win the district since 1974.

The district has historically been held by Democrats, and Gray is still within striking distance of Duarte, making this one of the closest House races to date.

Further south in California's 14th congressional district, Republican incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel is falling behind Democratic challenger Derek Tran. Tran has pulled ahead of Steel with an approximate 600-vote margin.

Steel was first elected to represent California's 45th congressional district in 2022. The seat was previously held for three terms by Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, who has since represented California's 47th congressional district after the state redistricted in 2021.

Although the GOP may have lost its footing in two key California seats, Republican incumbent Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks has held a narrow lead in the race for Iowa's 1st congressional district. Miller-Meeks is roughly 800 votes ahead of Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan, with just 900 votes estimated to be remaining.

Miller-Meeks was first elected to represent Iowa's 1st congressional district in 2022, defeating Bohannan by nearly seven points. Although the race is much closer this time around, Miller-Meeks still has a shot at holding onto her seat.

While Republicans have secured a majority in the upcoming 119th Congress, the narrow advantage is shrinking.

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida most recently resigned from Congress after Trump nominated him for attorney general. Gaetz later withdrew from his Cabinet bid but reaffirmed that he had no intentions of returning to Congress, leaving the seat vacant.

Fellow Floridian and Republican Rep. Mike Waltz was also tapped by Trump to serve as national security adviser in the upcoming administration. Waltz has confirmed that he intends to resign the day Trump is inaugurated on January 20.

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York was also recruited by Trump to serve in the next administration as U.N. ambassador. Although she has not yet indicated when she intends to resign, the GOP is anticipating her vacancy.

With the two Florida seats scheduled for special elections on April 1, House Republicans are bracing themselves for an estimated one-seat majority for the first two months of the 119th Congress.

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‘Speak Their Language’: Insiders Explain How Trump Can Use ‘NeoCon’ Cabinet Picks To Advance MAGA Agenda

'Speak Their Language': Insiders Explain How Trump Can Use 'NeoCon' Cabinet Picks To Advance MAGA Agenda

‘Hopefully No More’: How Trump Appointments Could Sway Balance Of Power In House

'Rock-solid Republican districts'

WATCH: Trump Foreign Policy Picks Are ‘Dream Team’ for Israel

JERUSALEM—Donald Trump named more than half a dozen pro-Israel hawks to key foreign policy roles this week, reassuring Israelis that the president-elect’s incoming administration will be as supportive as his first.

Trump’s picks largely ended talk in Israel that MAGA isolationism could weaken U.S. backing of the Jewish state. Israeli commentators hailed the roster—led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) for secretary of state and Fox News host Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense—as a "dream team."

The post WATCH: Trump Foreign Policy Picks Are ‘Dream Team’ for Israel appeared first on .

Neocons Cheer Trump's National Security Picks

Donald Trump's early personnel picks have largely centered on national security, with the president-elect naming nominees for national security adviser, secretary of state, and ambassador to the United Nations. And for the most part, the Republican Party's neoconservative wing likes what it sees.

The post Neocons Cheer Trump's National Security Picks appeared first on .

McClain To Replace Stefanik As House GOP Conference Chair

'I am honored to be chosen by my colleagues'

Creator of giant 'Vote for Trump' sign in New York teases run for Congress



The man responsible for the giant "Vote for Trump" sign that recently lit up the sky in Upstate New York is now considering a run for federal office.

It's no secret that Anthony Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule, supports President-elect Donald Trump. Not only did Constantino create a Trump-related PAC, but he also ordered a 100-foot "Vote for Trump" sign to be constructed atop a Sticker Mule facility in Amsterdam, a city of some 18,000 residents about 35 miles northwest of Albany.

'President Trump is a unity president, and I'll do whatever I can to help him make America great for everyone.'

Now that Constantino and more than 75 million other Americans have gotten their wish and Trump has won re-election, Constantino is thinking about how he can best serve his president and his country going forward. With Trump tapping New York Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) as ambassador to the United Nations, Constantino is now mulling a run for the seat Stefanik will vacate after a decade in office, should she be confirmed.

"I am strongly considering running for the NY-21 Congressional seat. Thank you!" he tweeted Monday night.

Constantino went into greater detail about the possible run on an appearance on Monday's episode of "The StoneZONE" hosted by longtime Trump ally Roger Stone.

"I want to do whatever is most impactful in the world, what's best for the country, and it seems like this might be it," Constantino said.

According to the Post Millennial, Constantino and Stefanik went to high school together, and he has long supported her work. He has also already begun gathering a team to consider the next steps in the process.

"President Trump is a unity president, and I'll do whatever I can to help him make America great for everyone. If that's in Congress, I'll fight hard to win big and continue winning after I'm elected," Constantino said in a statement to the Post Millennial.

So far, Constantino seems to have one friend in his corner. In a statement to the Post Millennial, Stone said Constantino "has what it takes."

"He built his company from the ground up, creating thousands of jobs. He stood up for President Trump in the face of certain backlash. We need smart and courageous people who aren’t career politicians like him in Washington now more than ever."

A month ago, Constantino appeared on "The Glenn Beck Program," telling Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck that Trump "did tremendous things for the country" in his first term, especially regarding free speech.

"Nobody wants to have duct tape put on their mouth. Nobody wants the right to speech taken away," Constantino said.

Free speech was just one of many reasons that Constantino, a registered Democrat, constructed the Trump sign on his building.

"I'm trying to end this epidemic of anti-Trump hate that's been bad, really, for both sides," he explained to Beck. "People got to be able to be comfortable to say they like President Trump."

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‘Proud To Serve’: These Are The Frontrunners To Succeed Elise Stefanik In GOP Leadership

'Fulfill our mandate'