Election 2024 live updates: Who will win the House of Representatives? Republicans want a clean election campaign that gives Trump unified power

9:42 a.m. EST

Legal expert warns Democrats will have a “very difficult time” passing legislation if the Republican Party wins the House

A legal expert warned that “Democrats will have a very difficult time passing legislation” if Republicans win the US House of Representatives.

Republicans are seeking a clear victory after Donald Trump won the presidency and Republicans captured the Senate.

The House of Representatives remains a closely contested race as votes continue to be counted. Democrats hope to flip it as a last line of defense against the Trump administration's second-term agenda. But if it stays red, legal expert Russell Morgan warned that would not be the case

“Democrats are going to have a very difficult time passing legislation that they pushed under the Biden-Harris administration,” he said on Fox News Thursday.

He added that Democrats “have to agree to get things done.”

9:35am EST

Defense secretary says US military is 'ready' to carry out Trump's orders after 'quiet' transition

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a letter to all U.S. military personnel that the Pentagon would carry out a “quiet, orderly” transition to the Trump administration.

Austin also reminded service members that the U.S. military will “continue to stay away from the political arena” and “stand ready to implement the policy decisions of its next commander in chief.”

“Our fellow citizens have elected the next President of the United States,” he wrote.

“The department will carry out a calm, orderly and professional transition to the new Trump administration. “As always, the U.S. military will stand ready to implement the policy decisions of its next commander in chief and obey all lawful orders through its civilian chain of command,” Austin wrote.

9:03 a.m. EST

When will the House of Representatives convene?

With hotly contested U.S. House races taking place across the country, it could take days to determine a winner.

In the 2022 midterm elections, it took more than a week for the House of Representatives to be decided. The election took place on November 8, 2022 and AP called the race for the Republicans' 218th seat, securing their majority, on November 17.

8:59 a.m. EST

Less than one percentage point decides House elections across the country

The razor-thin margins in U.S. House elections across the country mean majority control will be too close for some time.

In Arizona, the gap between incumbent and challenger is less than a percentage point in the state's 6th District, where incumbent Republican Juan Ciscomani is ahead at 49.1 over Democrat Kirsten Engel at 48.6, with 67% of votes counted.

Maine's 2nd Congressional District also has a razor-thin lead as Republican challenger Austin Theriault closed the gap between him and incumbent Democratic Congressman Jared Golden. Golden now has a lead of just 0.7 percentage points over Theriault, with 93% of the vote.

Incumbent Democratic Ohio 9th District Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who has been in Congress since 1983, has just a 0.3% lead over her Republican challenger Derek Merrin with 95% of votes counted.

8:41 a.m. EST

California House will definitely have to watch

With control of the U.S. House of Representatives still at stake, Democrats are focused on winning a handful of key seats in California.

They hope to defeat five incumbent Republicans in the state whose seats are needed for the House change. But so far, Republican members of Congress appear to be holding their districts by a slim majority.

• California's 13th – Incumbent Republican Congressman John Duarte has a shrinking two-point lead over his Democratic challenger Adam Gray, with just over half the vote, 52%, returned.
• California's 22nd – Things are different in the 22nd District, where Republican Congressman David Valadao is ahead by 10 points over Democratic challenger Rudy Salas with 56% of ballots counted.
• California's 27th – Republican Congressman Mike Garcia has a narrow two-point lead at 69% over his Democratic challenger George Whitesides.
• California's 41st: In another close race, incumbent Republican Congressman Ken Calvert has a two-point lead over Democrat Will Rollins at 76%.
• California's 45th – Democrat Derek Tran has closed the gap between himself and incumbent Republican Congresswoman Michelle Steel, but maintains a commanding four-point lead with 70% of votes counted.