House Democrats’ majority approaches a modern record

House Democrats’ majority approaches a modern record House Democrats now have won at least 254 seats, and while some race results are still being counted, they estimate they’ll end up with a majority close to 260. “This is the largest majority that any party has had this century,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) said on X. “News of our demise was greatly exaggerated.” Just over a dozen races have yet to be called, and Democrats are leading in about half of the outstanding contests. New members are in the Capitol for freshman orientation, including some (from both parties) whose races haven’t been called, and over the last two days, Democrats have been walking around elated. Republicans, meanwhile, have struck a more somber tone. “The results were not what we hoped for and worked for,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) told reporters Monday night. The best recent comparison for Democrats’ sweep is perhaps the 2008 election when, riding Barack Obama’s coattails, Democrats came into the 111th Congress with 257 seats. If, after all votes are finalized, Democrats do end up with 258 seats — or more — as Jeffries has predicted, this would be the largest Democratic majority of the 21st century. The last time Democrats had a majority that big was after the 1992 election, when they won 258 seats. This majority, however, falls short of historically massive majorities — particularly the one that came after the 1936 election, when Franklin Delano Roosevelt led the Democrats in a landslide that saw them win 334 seats in the 75th Congress.