Which U.S. House districts are currently vacant or expected to be by December 2025 and why?
Executive summary
As of the sources provided, multiple U.S. House seats were vacant in 2025 and several more were scheduled for special elections — notable confirmed vacancies include Florida’s 1st (Matt Gaetz resigned), Florida’s 6th (Mike Waltz resigned), New York’s 21st (Elise Stefanik moved toward an administration post), Virginia’s 11th (representative died and a successor was later elected), Tennessee’s 7th (Mark Green resigned effective July 20, 2025, with a special election called for Dec. 2, 2025), and Texas’s 18th (Representative died March 5, 2025) [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. State governors set special-election dates under state law; timing and whether a seat remains vacant until a regular election vary by state [6] [7].
1. Who is currently vacant and why — an itemized ledger
Federal and independent trackers show a cluster of 2025 vacancies caused primarily by resignations tied to the incoming administration and by deaths: Matt Gaetz (FL‑01) resigned after being considered for attorney general, Mike Waltz (FL‑06) resigned to join the administration, Elise Stefanik (NY‑21) was being tapped for an administration role, Mark Green (TN‑07) resigned July 20, 2025, and at least two members died in early 2025, including the member from Texas’s 18th and Virginia’s 11th [1] [2] [4] [5] [3]. Ballotpedia and The Green Papers list special elections called and summarize that several of these seats were filled by special election in 2025 while others remained open pending state-set contests [3] [8].
2. Why the timing varies — state law, not Congress, decides
The Constitution requires House vacancies be filled by election, but state law governs the timing and nomination processes for special elections; governors issue writs of election and often set primary and general dates within statutory windows [7] [6]. Congressional Research Service reporting shows special elections in recent Congresses averaged about 120 days after vacancy but ranged widely; some states leave a seat vacant if a vacancy occurs within six months of a regularly scheduled general election [6].
3. Expected vacancies by December 2025 — what reporting projects
Reporting in mid‑2025 and election trackers anticipated at least six special elections during the 119th Congress, with specific dates for several: Florida special elections with April 1, 2025 general dates, Virginia’s 11th held Sept. 9, 2025, Arizona’s 7th on Sept. 23, 2025, and Tennessee’s 7th slated for Dec. 2, 2025 per state announcement [2] [3] [4]. Wikipedia and The Green Papers documented resignations and subsequent scheduled contests, noting runoffs in some states where no candidate won a majority [2] [5].
4. Political stakes — slim majorities and party calculations
Analysts such as Cook Political Report framed the vacancies as meaningful because a thin Republican House majority in early 2025 made even a few vacant seats consequential for control and legislative maneuvering; Cook projected Republicans were favored to hold the three early vacant GOP seats but flagged the short‑term constriction of the majority [1]. The Green Papers and Ballotpedia catalog special election outcomes and the party origin of vacancies [8] [3].
5. What remains unclear in available reporting
Available sources do not list an exhaustive, up‑to‑the‑minute roster of every vacancy as of December 2025 in a single authoritative table; some sources report different snapshots (e.g., counts of vacancies as of specific November dates) and note runoffs or successors pending [5] [4]. Also not found in current reporting: any comprehensive federal timetable that preempts state discretion on special‑election timing beyond the constitutional requirement [6] [7].
6. How to follow changes going forward
For real‑time status checkers, the House Clerk’s vacancies page and nonpartisan trackers (Ballotpedia, The Green Papers, Cook Political Report) are the primary contemporaneous sources; the CRS and NCSL explain the legal framework that produces variability in timing and whether a seat remains vacant into a regular election [4] [3] [6] [7].
Limitations and competing perspectives: sources agree on the constitutional rule that vacancies require elections but differ in snapshot counts and in emphasis — news/analysis outlets stress the partisan implications of vacancies (Cook Political Report) while institutional sources (CRS, NCSL) stress procedural variation and state law [1] [6] [7].