What’s Going On with the 2024 Elections?
-While Donald Trump was quickly declared the winner of the presidential race against Kamala Harris on November 6, some other elections, called “down-ballot races,” are still undecided weeks after Election Day. These races are important because they decide who will represent different states in Congress.
What We Know So Far
- Republicans have already won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but the exact number of seats they’ll have isn’t final yet.
- Some races are still too close to call, and one Senate race is heading to a recount.
- The Associated Press (AP) and other news outlets make careful predictions about winners, but the official results will take a few more weeks to confirm.
Races Still Undecided
Alaska’s House Seat
- What’s Happening? Republican Nicholas Begich III is ahead of Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola by about 7,000 votes. But Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system. If no candidate gets more than 50% of first-choice votes, voters’ other choices are counted in multiple rounds to decide the winner. These results won’t be available until at least November 20.
- Fun Fact: Peltola, who is Alaska Native, made history as the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. She has beaten Begich in two past elections.
California’s 13th and 45th House Districts
- 13th District: Republican John Duarte is ahead of Democrat Adam Gray by about 2,000 votes, but many mail-in ballots are still being counted.
- 45th District: This race is super close! Democrat Derek Tran is ahead of Republican Michelle Steel by just 102 votes. Both districts are still waiting for final counts.
Iowa’s 1st District
- What’s Happening? Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks is leading Democrat Christina Bohannan by 801 votes. Bohannan has asked for a recount, but recounts rarely change the results.
- Did You Know? Miller-Meeks won her first race in 2020 by just six votes—the smallest margin in a House race that year.
Ohio’s 9th District
- What’s Happening? Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in the House, is ahead of Republican Derek Merrin by about 1,000 votes. Officials hope to have final results soon.
Pennsylvania Senate Race
- What’s Happening? Republican Dave McCormick is ahead of Democrat Bob Casey by fewer than 20,000 votes. Because the margin is so small (less than 0.5%), the state is required by law to do a recount. Recounts usually don’t change results by much, but they must finish by November 26.
Why Does This Happen?
Some states, like California, take longer to count ballots, especially mail-in votes. Systems like ranked-choice voting in Alaska also mean results take more time. Even though most winners will be clear soon, recounts and close races can delay the final results.
What’s Next?
Final results for all elections should be ready in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, people are watching these close races to see how they could shape Congress for the next few years. Stay tuned!