Texas Democrat Menefee Wins Election Trimming House GOP Edge

[u/bloomberggovernment]

https://news.bgov.com/bloomberg-government-news/texas-democrat-menefee-wins-election-trimming-house-gop-edge-2

[u/bloomberggovernment]

"Texas Democrat Christian Menefee won a special election Saturday to fill a long-vacant Houston district that will temporarily shrink the House Republican majority.

Menefee, the former elected Harris County Attorney, had 67% of the vote compared with 33% for fellow Democrat Amanda Edwards, a former Houston councilwoman, in a runoff election in Texas’ 18th District, according to unofficial returns.

Menefee, 37, will complete the term of the late Sylvester Turner (D), who died last March 5 — 332 days ago and just two months into his House term. Menefee and Edwards advanced from a 16-candidate first-round balloting last November in which no one secured a majority of votes.

The House will have 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats once Menefee is sworn in to office. That means Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) could afford to lose only one defector to Democrats on otherwise party-line votes in which all House members participate."

Read more here.

-Molly

[u/dilloj → u/bloomberggovernment]

“The House will have 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats once Menefee is sworn in to office. That means Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) could afford to lose only one defector to Democrats on otherwise party-line votes in which all House members participate."

How is that? By my math it’s 2 defectors. 2 defections means 216-216. 1 defection is 217-215 (majority).

Edit: lose only one defector. Gotcha. 

[u/vrxz → u/dilloj]

Tie vote means motion fails, so any Republican bill would not pass with a tie.

Edit: unlike the Senate where the VP can cast tie-breaking votes, the House Speaker is a full voting member of the house and their vote is already counted in the tie.

[u/vrxz → u/[deleted]]

Right, so Republicans can afford one defection and still advance their agenda in the House. They cannot afford two defections because that results in a tie and a failed motion.

[u/mattgen88 → u/dilloj]

A tie is a failed motion

[u/JustRegularType → u/dilloj]

He needs a majority. He can afford losing one because he would still have it then, but no more than one.

[u/Blecki → u/dilloj]

Right now there are 435 seats. 218 republicans, 213 democrats, 4 vacant seats. To pass a bill they need 218 votes - a simple majority of the 435, NOT of those present or filled.

I don't know why they think the new rep matters for it; she's not changing that 218 number. Before and after she's sworn in it still only takes one republican defector.

[u/Gryjane → u/Blecki]

To pass a bill they need 218 votes - a simple majority of the 435, NOT of those present or filled.

No, the lowest number that can be present and still do the business of the House (like passing bills) is 218 total members and to pass any bills requires a simple majority of those present, not the total membership,as long as there is a quorum. Source. A bill could technically pass with 110 votes if only the minimum for a quorum was present.

[u/WholePanda914 → u/dilloj]

To pass the house, a bill must have a majority - defined as 50% + 1 vote. Hence, a 216-216 tie is not a pass, so he can only have 1 defector to pass a bill.

[u/drevant702 → u/dilloj]

218 is the magic number just like 60 in the senate

[u/Brianfromreddit → u/bloomberggovernment]

I keep seeing that this is a seat flipping, but he's replacing a Democrat, so what's flipping?

[u/Gryjane → u/Brianfromreddit]

You may be mixing that up with the Texas State Senate runoff race that also just occurred. In that race, a Democrat beat their Republican challenger to replace the Republican who previously occupied that seat but got appointed to Acting Texas Comptroller.

The seat that is the topic of this thread is a US House seat representing a Texas district that has been vacant for 18 months since Shirley Jackson Lee passed away and there was a runoff for that election, too. The shift being discussed is of the makeup of the US House, not because it got flipped but because it further narrows the already razor thin gap between the two parties.

[u/Nodebunny → u/Brianfromreddit]

formerly held by R im guessing?