House Speaker Mike Johnson warns Republicans to maintain attendance as the GOP’s majority in the House dwindles to a precarious 218-213 following recent departures and upcoming special elections.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing increasing pressure as the Republican majority in the House of Representatives has narrowed to a slim 218-213. This precarious situation has prompted the Speaker to enforce strict attendance rules among party members.
The GOP’s numbers have been further diminished by the recent unexpected retirement of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia and the death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa from California. These developments have left House GOP leaders with little room for error, compelling them to keep a close watch on their members.
“They’d better be here,” Johnson said, emphasizing the importance of attendance. “I told everybody, and not in jest, I said, no adventure sports, no risk-taking, take your vitamins. Stay healthy and be here.”
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office has echoed this sentiment, advising Republican lawmakers that, “outside of life-and-death circumstances,” they are expected to be present on Capitol Hill.
Currently, there are four vacant House districts, necessitating special elections to fill these seats. However, it appears that Democrats may benefit more from these upcoming elections in the near term.
In Texas, voters in the Democrat-leaning 18th Congressional District will head to the polls on January 31 to select a successor for the late Rep. Sylvester Turner. The special election will see Democrats Christian Menefee, a former attorney for Harris County, and Amanda Edwards, a former Houston City Council member, competing against each other. Both candidates emerged as the top finishers in a crowded field of 16 candidates during an initial election in November.
While Texas has redrawn its congressional maps for the 2026 midterms amid contentious redistricting battles, the special election will proceed using the current district lines.
The winner of this election will add one more Democratic member to the House, further complicating matters for Republican leadership.
In New Jersey, eleven candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination in the 11th Congressional District, which became vacant after now-Governor Mikie Sherrill stepped down following her gubernatorial victory. The Democratic primary will take place on April 16, with the winner facing Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the sole Republican candidate in the special election.
This suburban district in northern New Jersey leans Democratic, as evidenced by Sherrill’s re-election victory in 2024 by a margin of 15 points. However, the district was won by then-Vice President Kamala Harris by only eight points in the 2024 presidential election, providing the GOP with a glimmer of hope for a potential upset.
In Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, a staggering 22 candidates, including 17 Republicans, are competing to succeed Greene. Under Georgia state law, all candidates will appear on the same ballot, and if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held on April 7 between the top two finishers. This district is solidly Republican, with Greene having won re-election in 2024 by nearly 30 points and Trump carrying the district by 37 points.
California’s 1st Congressional District will also hold a special election to fill LaMalfa’s seat, with the primary coinciding with the state’s elections in 2026. The general election is scheduled for August 4. Like Texas, California is undergoing redistricting, but the special election will be conducted under the existing district lines.
Both the White House and congressional Republicans have criticized Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom for delaying the special election to fill LaMalfa’s seat until August, six months after the congressman’s passing. Conversely, Democrats have expressed frustration over Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to wait eight months after the death of Rep. Turner to schedule the special election in Texas.
As the GOP navigates these challenges, the stakes remain high for House Speaker Mike Johnson and his party’s leadership. The outcome of the upcoming special elections could significantly impact the balance of power in the House.
According to Fox News, the Republican majority is under increasing strain as they brace for the potential fallout from these elections.