These 3 House seats are still undecided, with 2024 results outstanding two weeks after Election Day
Washington — More than two weeks after Election Day 2024, the results in a handful of races for the U.S. House of Representatives are still outstanding. But enough races have been decided for CBS News to project that Republicans will hold onto control of the House with at least 218 seats, the number needed for a majority.
With President-elect Donald Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race and Republicans poised to control at least 52 seats in the Senate, the GOP is heading toward full control in Washington come January.
As votes continue to be tallied in some states where the winners of congressional races have not yet been projected, Congress returned to Washington for the first time last week, and Republicans moved forward with leadership elections. Republicans voted to keep House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise in their positions atop the GOP conference, but Trump's selection of conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations created an open seat in party leadership. Michigan Rep. Lisa McClain was chosen to succeed Stefanik.
The Republicans' majority shrank by at least one member as Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida resigned his seat after Trump said he would nominate Gaetz for attorney general. But Gaetz's controversial confirmation in the Senate is far from certain.
Here are the outstanding House races as of Wednesday, Nov. 20:
California's 13th Congressional District
Freshman GOP Rep. John Duarte leads Democratic challenger Adam Gray by just 227 votes with 97% of the vote in.
The two faced off in 2022, when Gray lost by fewer than 600 votes. CBS News characterizes the race as a toss-up.
California's 45th Congressional District
This race between GOP incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel and Democrat Derek Tran is remarkably close. Tran is ahead by roughly 314 votes with 92% of the vote in. CBS News characterizes the race as a toss-up. Steel is in her second term in the House and is one of the first Korean-American women to serve in Congress.
Iowa's 1st Congressional District
The race between Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Christina Bohannan is a rematch of their 2022 contest. The 2024 election is very close, with Miller-Meeks leading by 801 votes with 99% of the vote counted. CBS News characterizes the race as leaning Republican.
The latest races decided
Alaska at-large
Republican Nick Begich defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, CBS News projects. Begich held a lead of 48.4 to 46.4 percentage points, a margin of a little more than 6,700 votes, with 99% of the estimated vote total reported.
Begich's projected win will mark a GOP pick-up in the House. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, so voters select multiple candidates and rank them in order of preference.
In ranked-choice voting, unless a candidate earns more than 50% of the first-choice vote, the one with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated, and voters' second picks are reallocated to the remaining candidates. In the third round, the candidate who receives the next fewest votes is eliminated and their votes reallocated to the remaining contenders. The process continues until a candidate reaches 50%.
Begich is the son of a prominent liberal family. Peltola was the first Alaska Native elected to Congress and also the first Democrat to represent the state in the House since 1972.
Begich's grandfather, Nick Begich Sr., had been the last Democrat to win the seat prior to Peltola.
California's 21st Congressional District
Democratic Rep. Jim Costa won his reelection bid against Republican Michael Maher, CBS News projects. The congressman leads by a margin of 52.3 to 47.7 percentage points with 89% of the estimated vote total reported so far.
Ohio's 9th Congressional District
Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur will hold onto her seat in the race against Republican challenger Derek Merrin, CBS News projects. Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in Congress.
Kaptur has been in Congress since 1983. Her district was redrawn after the 2020 Census, making it more competitive.
Maine's 2nd Congressional District
Democratic Rep. Jared Golden won his reelection bid against Republican Austin Theriault in a district that supported Trump in 2016 and 2020, CBS News projected. Maine, like Alaska, uses ranked-choice voting, and because neither candidate secured at least 50% of the vote, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced it would be decided by a ranked-choice runoff.
California's 41st Congressional District
Rep. Ken Calvert won his reelection bid against Democrat Will Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, in California's 41st District, keeping the seat in Republican hands, CBS News projected. Calvert has served in the House for more than 30 years.
California's 47th Congressional District
Democratic Rep. Katie Porter currently holds this seat, but her unsuccessful bid for the Senate set up a race between Democrat David Min and Republican Scott Baugh to succeed her. CBS News projects Min will win the election, keeping the seat in Democrats' hands.
Arizona's 6th Congressional District
Incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani, a Republican, will hold onto his seat, defeating Democratic opponent Kirsten Engel, CBS News projected. The race had been rated a toss-up.
California's 9th Congressional District
CBS News projects incumbent Rep. Josh Harder, a Democrat, will defeat Republican opponent Kevin Lincoln. Lincoln conceded the race on Nov. 13.
"Our community has been through tough times, and we know what it means to rise, overcome and continue moving forward," he said in a statement posted to social media. "I remain committed to our community and our shared mission to make the Valley a better place. This campaign may have ended, but the work continues."
Oregon's 5th Congressional District
Republican incumbent Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who is in her first term, faced off against Democrat Janelle Bynum. CBS News projected Bynum will win the race.
