Republicans cling to 218-213 House majority with special elections looming

Republicans cling to a razor-thin 218-213 majority in the House of Representatives.

But House Speaker Mike Johnson shouldn’t expect too many reinforcements anytime soon.

This month, the early retirement from the House of MAGA firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and the unexpected death of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California further narrowed the GOP’s margins in the chamber.

And that leaves House GOP leaders maintaining a tight grip on rank-and-file members of the party.

DEMOCRATIC STATE FEARS RISE AS HOUSE DRIVES REPUBLICANS INTO A VULNERABLE MAJORITY

“They better be here,” Johnson said recently of his members. “I told everyone, not as a joke, no adventure sports, no taking risks, take your vitamins. Stay healthy and be here.”

And House Majority Rep. Tom Emmer’s office confirmed that he had informed members that they expected Republican lawmakers to be on Capitol Hill “except in life-or-death circumstances.”

REP. LAMALFA’S DEATH FURTHER REDUCES THE REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY MAJORITY

There are currently four vacant House districts, which means four special elections to fill the seats. But in the short term, it will likely be Democrats rather than Republicans who will benefit more from the poll results.

Here’s a look at the special selections on stage:

January 31

Voters in Texas’ Democratic-majority 18th Congressional District, located in downtown Houston and surrounding areas, go to the polls on the last day of January to elect a successor to fill the seat left vacant when Rep. Sylvester Turner died last March.

Representative Sylvester Turner, a Democrat from Texas, died on March 5, 2025. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Democrats Christian Menefee, a former Houston Harris County attorney, and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards are facing off in a special election. They took the first two places among the 16 candidates who faced each other in the first elections held in November.

Although Texas is redrawing congressional maps for the 2026 midterms as part of a high-stakes redistricting battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans and Democrats, the state’s existing district lines will be used in the special election.

FORMER COUNCIL SPEAKER MCCARTHY WARNED THAT MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE WAS THE ‘CANARY IN THE COAL MINE’

The winner of the special election will give Democrats another House member, giving Republican leaders more headaches.

5 February

Eleven candidates are running in the Democratic primary election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

The seat remained vacant after New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill resigned after winning the November gubernatorial election in the Garden State.

Then-Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill resigned from Congress in November after winning the election for governor of New Jersey. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The winner of the Democratic primary will face Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican to file for an April 16 special election.

The suburban area in northern New Jersey leans left; Sherrill won re-election in 2024 by 15 points; That’s the same margin he carried the district in November’s gubernatorial showdown.

REPORTER’S LAPTOP: HOUSE EXODUS THREATENS JOHNSON’S CLASS ON POWER AS OVER 40 MEMBERS LEAD FOR THE EXIT

But then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just eight points in the 2024 presidential election, giving the GOP some hope that she could possibly flip the seat.

March 10

22 candidates, 17 of whom are Republicans, are running in the special election in the 14th Congressional District to replace Greene.

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned from Congress on January 5, 2026. (Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

According to Georgia state law, all candidates will compete on the same ballot. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the votes, a second round of elections between the top two candidates will be held on April 7.

The district in northwest Georgia is solidly Republican; Greene will win re-election in 2024 by about 30 points, while Trump carries the district by 37 points.

June 2

Primary Day in California for the 2026 election will also include a primary for the special election in the state’s 1st Congressional District in the race to fill LaMalfa’s seat. The general election will be held on August 4.

California Republican Representative Doug LaMalfa died on January 6, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

The region in northeastern California is solidly Republican.

Similar to Texas, California is changing congressional maps as part of redistricting battles, but special elections will be held under existing district lines.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

The White House and congressional Republicans have criticized Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision not to hold a special election to fill LaMalfa’s seat until August, six months after the late congressman’s death.

But Democrats similarly complained that Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott did not schedule the special election to fill Turner’s seat until eight months after the late lawmaker’s death.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkins contributed to this story.