The elections were largely positive for Republicans. But not House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Because this terrible U.S. House news has Mike Johnson sweating bullets.
Donald Trump had a resounding win. The Republicans won back the U.S. Senate in a big way, carrying a three seat advantage, more than what most were expecting heading into the elections. Overall it was a great night for the Republican Party and the Trump movement.
That being said, there’s some real chinks in the armor of the Republicans that should not be glossed over. Those chinks rest in the U.S. House of Representatives, where Election Night was not so kind to the Republicans in that chamber. They far underperformed the rest of the Republicans running for office on the ballots. The Republicans have officially been unable to make any gains in the lower Congressional chamber.
This reflects terribly on House Speaker and leader of the Republicans in the House, Mike Johnson, because he is partly responsible for devising ways to improve the Party’s stature. Instead, the House Republicans failed to live up to expectations compared to Donald Trump’s performance and the U.S. Senate Republican performance.
Democrats Win Critical Ohio U.S. House Seat To Diminish Republican Majority
Democratic Representative Marcy Kaptur has successfully secured her 22nd term in Congress, defeating Republican challenger Derek Merrin in what was supposed to be one of the most vulnerable races for Democrats in 2024. Despite high expectations that Republicans could flip Ohio’s 9th District, Kaptur managed to hold on to her seat by a slim margin, winning 48.27% of the vote to Merrin’s 47.63% with 99% of precincts reporting. The Associated Press officially called the race for Kaptur on Wednesday, November 6, and with it, another chance for a career politician to continue serving in Washington, D.C.
Heading into the election, Republicans had been optimistic that redistricting — following the 2020 census — had shifted the district in their favor, bringing in more Trump-friendly areas. After Trump carried Ohio by 8 points in 2020, this race was seen as an opportunity for Republicans to flip a seat and weaken the Democratic hold on the House. Yet despite these favorable conditions, the GOP failed to capitalize, leaving the House Majority intact for Republicans at 218 seats, while Democrats now hold 213.
House majority tracker (AP calls) as of 1:30 pm ET Wednesday (4 uncalled)
NEW: Rep. Marcy Kaptur D-OH wins by 2,382 votes
GOP 218 wins + 3 leads minus Gaetz = 220 seats
Dem 213 wins + 1 lead = 214 seatsDems lead CA-45 by 314 votes
GOP leads CA-13 by 227 votes— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) November 20, 2024
The inability to unseat Kaptur, a 41-year veteran of Congress, is a significant disappointment. Instead of capitalizing on the district’s redder tilt, Republicans squandered an opportunity to retire one of the most entrenched career politicians in the House. Kaptur’s long tenure — spanning four decades — should have made her an obvious target. But Merrin’s campaign, while critical of her lack of accomplishments, failed to deliver a strong enough challenge to overcome the well-funded and well-organized Kaptur machine.
Throughout the race, Merrin had pointed to Kaptur’s lengthy tenure as a sign of stagnation, pushing for term limits and highlighting her record of only five bills she personally sponsored that became law in her entire career. “Marcy Kaptur hasn’t done squat for the four decades she has served in Congress,” Merrin said in an interview with Fox News Digital, accurately describing her as a symbol of the ineffective, status-quo Washington establishment that voters have grown frustrated with.
Instead of offering fresh leadership and a new direction, Kaptur’s campaign leaned into the very kind of career-politician messaging that many voters want to move away from. In her victory speech, she thanked the people of Ohio’s 9th District for their continued trust in her, framing her win as a testament to the “strength and resilience of our communities” and reinforcing the tired narrative that she’s the champion of working families.
“This campaign has always been about the strength and resilience of our communities,” she said. Yet after four decades in Washington, it’s hard to see how much has truly changed in the district under her watch.
Merrin, on the other hand, sought to turn the focus on Kaptur’s rubber-stamp support for the Biden administration, which was a liability in a district that supported Trump in 2020. Kaptur consistently voted in line with Biden, an unappealing fact for conservative voters who want representatives who stand up to the liberal agenda in Washington. Despite this, Republicans failed to draw a clear contrast and make Kaptur’s partisan loyalty a decisive issue.
Kaptur’s victory also comes amid criticism of Merrin’s campaign strategy, which many conservatives viewed as lackluster. Instead of focusing on the key issues that matter to voters — like inflation, energy policy, or securing the southern border — pro-Kaptur ads in Toledo repeatedly attacked Merrin on irrelevant issues, calling him a “corporate puppet” and trying to link him to convicted politician Larry Householder. Such tactics, while effective in some parts, fell short in swaying voters who had hoped for a bolder, more direct challenge to Kaptur’s political machine.
This race is another example of Republican underperformance, especially in the aftermath of what should have been a favorable environment for the GOP. Republicans are supposed to be capitalizing on the increasing dissatisfaction with career politicians like Kaptur, yet they failed to close the deal. Instead, Kaptur will return to Washington, continuing her decades-long hold on the district, while Republicans are left to wonder how they missed a golden opportunity to flip a seat that should have been in play.
It’s clear that Republicans need to rethink their strategy moving forward. The fact that Kaptur — who has been in office since 1983 — was able to survive such a concerted challenge speaks to a deeper issue within the GOP’s ability to connect with voters, especially in key swing districts like this one. The party needs fresh ideas and leaders who can break through the political gridlock and take on career politicians head-on, or else they’ll continue to fall short of the victories they desperately need.
The Conservative Column will keep you updated on any major election aftermath news.
