We tracked the undecided races of the 2024 election

Republicans are on track to have a narrow 220-215 majority in the House.

Last Updated: November 27, 2024, 2:30 PM EST

We found out that President-elect Donald Trump had won the White House late on election night, but several downballot races across the country took weeks to be resolved. 538 reporters, analysts and contributors tracked all the late-breaking races as they were projected with live updates, analysis and commentary.

When the dust settled, Republicans won a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and the GOP looks like they’ll finish with a narrow 220-215 majority in the House. Other important races, from ballot measures to state Supreme Court elections, also went to recounts.

Read our full live blog of the post-Election Day count below.

Alexandra Samuels Image
Nov 07, 2024, 2:25 PM EST

In North Carolina, Democrats hold key congressional seat

ABC News reports that Democratic Rep. Don Davis is projected to win his race in North Carolina's 1st District. With 91% of the expected vote in, Davis narrowly leads his Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout, 49% to 48%.

Notably, Buckhout had already conceded on Wednesday afternoon. "While Don and I have different visions, it is obvious to everyone he cares about this district," she wrote in a recent social media post. Given this, it's unlikely she'll request a recount — as she was once considering doing.

Democrats have held this seat since the 1890s. But the party's slim voting margin might be reason to worry — as it's likely the GOP will target this seat in future races. Even ahead of Tuesday, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report said that the district was a "toss-up," and 538's forecast had it listed as "likely Democrat."

Alexandra Samuels Image
Nov 07, 2024, 2:17 PM EST

Gonzalez ekes out win in Texas's 34th District

ABC News is reporting that in Texas's 34th District, Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez is projected to retain control. With 99% of the expected vote reporting, Gonzalez eked out a win against Republican Mayra Flores, 51% to 49%.

Despite a Democratic win here, though, South Texas's overall political shift is incredibly fascinating. Take this example: In Hidalgo County, the most populous in the Rio Grande Valley, Trump beat Harris by 3 percentage points. Compare this to 2020, when Biden won the county by nearly 17 points. Gonzalez might've survived to see another two years in the House, but given the political realignment of Latinos in South Texas, it's likely that Democrats will have to fight even harder for these seats in future elections.

Monica Potts Image
Nov 07, 2024, 2:15 PM EST

Democrats will keep Nevada's 4th District

ABC News reports that Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford is projected to win in Nevada's 4th Congressional District. The district, which stretches from North Las Vegas almost to Reno, was one of the three Democratic-held seats in the state that Republicans hoped to flip. The other two were the 1st, which Democrats are also expected to hold, and the 3rd, in which a winner hasn't been projected and which is very close. The Senate and presidential races in the state are still undecided as well.

Nathaniel Rakich Image
Nov 07, 2024, 1:48 PM EST

The size of Republicans' Senate majority is very important

We already know Republicans are going to control the Senate next year — so why are we still tracking any races there? Because the exact number of seats Republicans win is super important.

So far, the GOP has clinched at least 52 Senate seats. By recent standards, that's a downright huge majority (remember, the Senate was tied 50-50 in 2021-22 and Democrats had just a 51-49 majority in 2023-24), but Trump and whoever the next Senate majority leader is would probably prefer more of a cushion. That's because there are a number of Republican senators — namely, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Todd Young and Bill Cassidy — who are no fans of Trump and might not be an automatic vote for his agenda or appointees. If Republicans only win 52 seats, that bloc could serve as a check on Trump if they choose to. However, if Republicans get up to 54 seats, bills could still pass even if all four of those senators defect (thanks to Vice President JD Vance's tie-breaking vote).

The size of Republicans' majority also makes a huge difference to the battle for Senate control in 2026. Democrats don't have a ton of pickup opportunities on the 2026 Senate map: Maine and North Carolina are probably the best ones, but Ohio, Texas and Iowa could be competitive as well. If Republicans stay at 52 seats, then Democrats have a plausible path to winning back the chamber by flipping the first two and maybe picking off one of the others too. But if Republicans get up to 54 seats, Democrats would have to win all five of those seats (and not lose any of their own). That's a tall order.

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