How many republicans and democrats were there in the house of representatives as of 1/20/2026
Executive summary
As of January 20, 2026 the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives showed Republicans holding the majority and Democrats forming the minority, but exact seat totals vary across official trackers because of recent resignations and several vacancies; major contemporaneous reports place the count at roughly 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats with multiple vacancies still unfilled [1] [2]. Discrepancies in public sources reflect special-election timing, Member resignations (including high-profile departures in early January 2026), and different snapshot dates used by each tracker [3] [4].
1. The headline number and why it’s not perfectly precise
Two widely cited snapshots from late 2025 and early January 2026 show Republicans with roughly a 6‑ to 7‑seat edge in the 435‑member House: Bloomberg Government reported Republicans held 219 seats to Democrats’ 213 with three vacancies as of its November 2025 update [1], while a Library of Congress profile earlier summarized the 119th Congress as having 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats plus several delegates and four vacancies at a prior reporting date [2]. Those small differences matter because the House majority margin has been narrow and even a single resignation or special‑election result can shift reported party tallies within days [2] [1].
2. Recent events that moved the scoreboard
Resignations and deaths in 2025–early 2026 created the vacillating totals: the 119th Congress began with Republicans retaining a slim majority after the 2024 elections, then multiple special elections, member deaths, and resignations altered the raw counts [3] [5]. Notably, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R‑GA) resigned effective January 5, 2026, a development recorded in contemporaneous congressional summaries and Wikipedia’s ongoing roll calls, and other members left or triggered special elections throughout 2025, producing seat vacancies that trackers logged differently depending on timing [3] [4].
3. How trackers produce different totals
Public and institutional trackers (House Press Gallery, Library of Congress, Ballotpedia, Bloomberg, and others) update on different cadences and sometimes include non‑voting delegates or count vacancies differently; Congress.gov’s membership profile emphasized a 219 Republican / 212 Democratic split plus delegates and vacant seats at one reporting date [2], while Bloomberg’s later summary showed 219 R / 213 D and three vacancies [1]. Ballotpedia and election sites also flagged a shifting map going into 2026, noting retirements and vacancies that would require special elections to resolve [6] [4].
4. Best-supported short answer for 1/20/2026
The most consistent and contemporaneous reporting identifies the House composition on January 20, 2026 as approximately 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats, with multiple vacancies unfilled at that moment that prevent a single universally agreed‑upon tally [1] [2]. Sources differ by a seat or two depending on whether they counted the latest resignations as vacancies yet to be filled or reflected special‑election outcomes finalized in late 2025 [4] [1].
5. What to watch next and why the small gaps matter
Because the majority margin was narrow, each pending special election and the timing of swearing‑in for winners could swing committee control, legislative strategy, and the arithmetic of close votes; Ballotpedia and 270toWin both flagged that Democrats needed net gains of only a few seats to win the House in 2026, underscoring why precise counts and vacancy timing are consequential [7] [8]. Readers should consult the House Clerk, the Library of Congress membership profile, and up‑to‑the‑minute trackers for any hour‑by‑hour changes, since the sources cited here reflect slightly different snapshot dates [2] [9].