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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Trump-endorsed Floridian launches bid to replace Mike Waltz following administration nomination



On Tuesday, Republican state Sen. Randy Fine of Florida announced his bid to replace Republican Rep. Mike Waltz after securing an endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.

Fine is running to replace Waltz after Trump tapped the outgoing congressman to serve as national security adviser in the upcoming administration. Waltz confirmed Monday that he would resign from his post on Inauguration Day.

'It is my belief that President Trump is our nation's last, best chance to right the ship.'

“I’m proud to announce that I’m going to be running for the 6th Congressional District of the state of Florida,” Fine told Fox News on Tuesday. “Whether it’s fighting inflation to make America affordable again, closing the border to make America safe again, or standing up for Israel and standing up to China, I’m ready to go.”

Trump also endorsed Fine on Monday ahead of his official announcement, noting his allegiance to the MAGA movement.

"A Harvard Educated, Successful Businessman, and Highly Respected State Legislator, Randy has been an incredible Voice for MAGA, and the Great People of Florida," Trump said. "In Congress, Randy will be an INCREDIBLE Fighter who will work tirelessly with me to Stop Inflation, Grow our Economy, Secure the Border, Champion our Military/Vets, Restore American Energy DOMINANCE, Protect our always under siege Second Amendment, and Restore PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH."

In response, Fine praised the president-elect and pledged to work alongside him.

"Clearly Mom wasted no time once she made it upstairs," Fine said. "Mr. President, G-d saved you on that day in Butler so that you could save the world. It would be the honor of my life to be one of your footsoldiers."

Fine resigned from his state Senate seat on Tuesday amid his campaign launch, just one month into his term. His resignation will go into effect beginning March 31.

"It is my belief that President Trump is our nation's last, best chance to right the ship," Fine said in his resignation letter. "And with his statement this weekend, he believes I can help. I owe it to those same children that I entered office to serve to join that fight. While I am sorry that my service in the Senate will be abbreviated, it seems that my path will return me to a People's House where I will fight for Floridians under the familiar title of Representative."

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Mike Waltz Has Unfinished Business Before He Resigns From Congress To Serve As Trump’s National Security Advisor

Cord Byrd has officially set Jan. 28 as the primary for Waltz's replacement

'You Can Expect a Strong Response': Republicans, Weeks Away From a Trifecta, Ready ICC Sanctions Following Bibi Arrest Warrant

The International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister sparked a flurry of promises from Republican leaders to sanction the court and erode its legitimacy on the world stage.

The post 'You Can Expect a Strong Response': Republicans, Weeks Away From a Trifecta, Ready ICC Sanctions Following Bibi Arrest Warrant appeared first on .

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

'Rock-solid Republican districts'

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 .

Republicans Will Have a House Majority. But With Vacancies Looming, How Big Will It Be?

The GOP's House majority is all but confirmed. The size of that majority, however, remains to be seen—and President-elect Donald Trump's decision to tap two House Republicans for his cabinet means it could shrink to as small as a few seats.

The post Republicans Will Have a House Majority. But With Vacancies Looming, How Big Will It Be? appeared first on .

Trump Picks Florida Rep. Mike Waltz As New National Security Advisor

Waltz, a veteran Green Beret, has served in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Grief Is Deep’: GOP Veterans Slam ‘Failures’ Of Deadly Afghanistan Withdrawal In Trump Ad

'One of the deepest failures'

GOP rep says would-be Trump assassin had encrypted messaging accounts in 3 foreign countries, rips intelligence community



The gunman who nearly assassinated former President Donald Trump used encrypted messaging accounts on platforms in multiple foreign countries, according to a GOP representative appointed to a congressional task force investigating the assassination attempt.

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) — a member of the Bipartisan House Task Force on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump — revealed the three countries linked to encrypted messaging accounts used by would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks.

'They need to be releasing information as they come across it, because this wasn’t an isolated incident.'

Last month, Waltz said, "Now, what we know, and this was on the briefing we just received, he had three encrypted overseas accounts the FBI is trying to get into."

"Well, we know that they were based in servers overseas," he added. "And so you've got to work over there with the FBI liaisons overseas to start getting into them through their authorities."

On Wednesday, Waltz informed reporters in Chicago: "We still haven’t learned a lot. We haven’t learned that much about those overseas accounts. We do know that they were in, if I get this correctly, Belgium, New Zealand, and Germany."

The House lawmaker asked, "Why does a 19-year-old kid, who is a health care aide, need encrypted platforms not even based in the United States, but based abroad, where most terrorist organizations know it is harder for our law enforcement to get into? That’s a question I’ve had since day one."

The FBI, Secret Service, and Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General are conducting their own investigations into the Trump assassination attempt.

Waltz — who is retired from the U.S. Army Special Forces and is a former White House and Pentagon adviser — slammed the FBI and Secret Service for apparently withholding information regarding their investigations into last month's Trump assassination attempt at the campaign rally held in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"They need to be releasing information as they come across it, because this wasn’t an isolated incident," Waltz declared. "The threats are continually Iran’s threats."

Waltz — who serves on the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Oversight Committees — referenced the alleged murder-for-hire plot to assassinate Trump and other U.S. officials involving a Pakistani national with suspected ties to the Iranian government.

Before the shooting, the National Security Council had reportedly warned the Secret Service and the Trump campaign that there were intelligence reports that Iran was actively plotting an assassination attempt on the former president.

Iran rejected accusations that it had ambitions to assassinate Trump.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran "strongly rejects any involvement in the recent armed attack on Trump or claims about Iran’s intention for such an action."

Kanaani continued, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to pursue legal action against Trump for his direct role in the crime of assassinating Martyr General Qassem Soleimani."

Soleimani was the commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force and killed in a U.S. drone attack in Baghdad in January 2020.

The FBI reportedly was scheduled to brief the 13 members of the House task force on Wednesday. Waltz said he hopes the FBI will provide insight into the "ridiculously flawed" security detail at the Trump rally on July 13, 2024.

Crooks accessed a roof just 130 yards from the stage where Trump delivered his campaign speech. The shooter was able to fire eight shots — including one that struck Trump in his right ear — before being neutralized. Crooks shot and killed 50-year-old Trump supporter and firefighter Corey Comperatore. Two other rallygoers — 54-year-old James Copenhaver and 57-year-old David Dutch — were injured during the shooting.

Blaze News reached out to the FBI and Secret Service for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

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