How many vacant U.S. House seats are currently pending special elections and when are those elections scheduled?
Executive summary
As of early February 2026, at least three vacant U.S. House seats are pending special elections with two definitive dates announced and at least one vacancy without a scheduled date; reporting sources differ slightly on the total number of upcoming House special elections, reflecting timing and state scheduling differences [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. Current count and the named vacancies
Three federal House vacancies are repeatedly cited in official and press reporting as pending special elections: Georgia’s 14th Congressional District (vacated by Marjorie Taylor Greene), New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District (vacated by Mikie Sherrill), and California’s 1st Congressional District (vacated by the late Doug LaMalfa) [1] [2].
2. Which seats have dates, and when they will be filled
Georgia’s 14th District special general election is scheduled for March 10, 2026, with a special runoff, if required, set for April 7, 2026, according to Federal Election Commission reporting on the Georgia contest [1]. New Jersey’s 11th District has a special general election on April 16, 2026, with its primary set for February 5, 2026, as tracked by the Cook Political Report and other election trackers [2]. California’s 1st District is listed as a vacancy with the special election date “to be determined” in public trackers [2]. Reuters also summarized that three House vacancies were scheduled to be filled in March, April and August 2026, indicating at least one additional later-date contest in reporting at that time [3].
3. Why sources report different totals
Election trackers and encyclopedic sites show slight differences: Ballotpedia noted that, as of January 2026, six special elections had been held and five were upcoming, which implies a broader tally of contests across the year than the three federal vacancies most widely cited in January–February reporting [4]. Wikipedia and other summaries flag “at least four” or “four scheduled” special House elections in 2026, reflecting how evolving resignations, deaths and state scheduling change the list as the year progresses [5] [6]. The variation stems from updating cadence, the difference between federal and state legislative special elections, and whether trackers include contests tied to state-level seats or Senate special elections in their totals [4] [7].
4. What remains uncertain and why it matters
California’s 1st District lacks a publicly announced special election date in major trackers, and Ballotpedia’s broader count suggests more contests could be scheduled or already decided by state officials after the latest updates cited here [2] [4]. Because special-election timing is set by state law and governors’ proclamations, counts can shift rapidly; national tallies published by aggregators therefore often lag or disagree by a seat or two depending on timing and whether Senate or state-legislative contests are being included [4] [8].
5. Bottom line and how to follow changes
The defensible reading of the sources available in early February 2026 is that three U.S. House vacancies were most prominently pending special elections (GA‑14 with Mar. 10 and Apr. 7 runoff; NJ‑11 with Feb. 5 primary and Apr. 16 general; CA‑01 with date TBD), while some aggregators report a larger set of “upcoming” special elections that may include contests scheduled later or that reflect very recent developments [1] [2] [3] [4]. For a definitive, up-to-the-minute count, state election offices and trackers like Ballotpedia, Cook Political Report and FEC notices should be consulted because state proclamations and death/resignation certifications are the mechanisms that create and schedule these special contests [1] [2] [4].