House majority at stake

Voters across the United States cast ballots on Tuesday for all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The race is effectively a referendum on President Trump, with early exit polls indicating his approval rating sits at 38%. This figure is lower than his ratings during his first term and below George W. Bush's approval in 2006, the last time his party lost both chambers in a midterm election.

Republicans currently hold 219 seats, including one independent who caucuses with the party, while Democrats hold 214 seats. Two vacancies remain unfollowing resignations earlier this year by Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McMick of Florida. Democrats need a net gain of three seats to take control of the House. More than 40 races are considered competitive, with CBS News identifying 17 as toss-ups, split between 13 Republican and four Democratic incumbents.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters in Washington that Democrats are close to winning the chamber. He stated that early vote numbers were strong in blue, swing, and red states. Jeffries declined to predict a specific seat total, saying the party is working to reach 218 seats and then win as many as possible beyond that threshold. He emphasized that the party would continue to push until the finish line.

Speaker Mike Johnson, who has led the chamber since 2023, disputed the polling data. He argued that the polls are underestimating Republican support because fewer people are answering phone surveys. Johnson noted that he has visited more swing districts in blue states than any other candidate during the cycle. He described his view as a bird's eye view of the campaign, asserting that the polls are currently wrong.

Mid-decade redistricting altered the playing field for this election. Republicans in seven states, including Texas and Florida, redrew maps to create 15 additional districts favorable to the GOP. California was the only state where Democrats successfully redrew maps, making five seats less favorable to Republicans. Under the new 2026 boundaries, President Trump won 22 districts in 2024 that are currently represented by Democrats. Conversely, former Vice President Kamala Harris won eight districts in 2024 that are currently held by Republicans.

In New York's 17th District, officials in Westchester County reported ballot scanner issues Tuesday morning. A late programming change in one municipality caused machines elsewhere in the county to reject valid ballots. The New York State Board of Elections stated that voting continued through emergency procedures and that all valid votes would be counted. Republican Rep. Mike Lawler and Democratic candidate Cait Conley urged voters to remain in line and cast their ballots. Lawler said both parties were working with election boards to resolve the malfunction.