Control of the House following the mid-term elections was leaning Republican but still undecided as votes were still being counted in a few states on Sunday afternoon. Inside Towers reviews results for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which governs telecom matters and oversees the FCC.
The Committee has 32 Democrats and 26 Republicans. Both Committee Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) won reelection. McMorris Rodgers would become Chair come January if the GOP controls the House. The make-up of the committee will look different in January due to retirements and election losses.
In Arizona, Democrat Tom O’Halleran lost to Republican Eli Crane. In California, all incumbent Democrats won. They are: Anna Eshoo, Doris Matsui, Tony Cardenas, Nanette Barragan, Raul Ruiz and Scott Peters.
Lisa Rochester won in Delaware. So too, did Kathy Caston, and Darren Soto in Florida and Debbie Dingell in Michigan.
In Pennsylvania, Democrat Mike Doyle is retiring. State Rep. Summer Lee won his seat and will be the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, notes Reuters. Jan Schakowsky held onto her seat. Diana DeGette won her race in Colorado.
In Illinois, Rep. Bobby Rush is retiring after serving 15 terms. Jonathan L. Jackson, the son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, was elected to succeed Rush, according to Roll Call. Robin Kelly held onto her seat.
In Maryland, incumbent John Sarbanes won as did Lori Trahan in Massachusetts, Ann Kuster in New Hampshire and Angie Crain in Minnesota.
In North Carolina, G. K. Butterfield did not run for reelection. Democratic state Sen. Don Davis, a minister, won the seat opened by Butterfield’s retirement, notes Roll Call.
New York was a mixed bag. Yvette Clarke won reelection. Kathleen Rice did not seek reelection and the seat flipped Republican to A. D’esposito. In Oregon, Kurt Schraeder lost his reelection bid to progressive Jamie McLeod-Skinner.
Lizzie Fletcher won in Texas. So did Marc Veasey. Kim Schrier won her race in Washington State as did A. Donald McEachin in Virginia.
In Vermont, Becca Balint, the president of the state Senate, will become the first woman in Congress from Vermont after being elected to succeed fellow Democrat Peter Welch, who ran for Senate and won.
Switching to the Republicans, incumbent Gary Palmer won in Alaska while Debbie Lesko won in Arizona.
In Florida, both Gus Bilirakis and Neil Dunn won their races. Earl “Buddy” Carter won his bid for reelection in Georgia. Greg Pence won his race in Indiana.
In Illinois, Adam Kinzinger is retiring when this session of Congress ends. Darin LaHood kept the seat Republican. Larry Bucshon won in Indiana and Brett Guthrie won his bid for reelection in Kentucky. Steve Scalise won his race in Louisiana.
In Michigan, Fred Upton was redrawn into the fourth district and did not seek reelection. He will retire from Congress upon his 18th term’s expiration in 2023. Bill Huizenga won this seat.
In Missouri, Billy Long lost his primary bid for U.S. Senate. State Sen. Eric Burlison defeated Democrat Kristen Radaker-Sheafer, a business owner from Joplin, to fill the seat vacated by Long, according to Fox.
Richard Hudson won his race in North Carolina while Kelly Armstrong won hers in North Dakota. In Ohio, both Bob Latta and Bill Johnson won their races.
In Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jim Inhofe. Mullin, 44, will end his fifth term in the House next year and complete the remainder of Inhofe’s six-year term, according to the Washington Examiner.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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