10 House races to watch on election night (and beyond)

Entering Election Day on Tuesday, the battle for control of the US House of Representatives rests on a knife’s edge – with a historically small universe of competitive races poised to determine the chamber’s majority in the next Congress – an outcome that could have far-reaching consequences for the next president’s agenda.

Entering Election Day on Tuesday, the battle for control of the US House of Representatives rests on a knife’s edge, with a historically small universe of competitive races poised to determine the chamber’s majority in the next Congress – an outcome that could have far-reaching consequences for the next president’s agenda. All 435 House seats are on the ballot, with Republicans defending a slim majority and Democrats needing a net gain of four seats to flip control of the chamber. There is a clear consensus among both parties that whichever side emerges with a majority is likely to have little room to spare. A single-seat majority is not outside the realm of possibility. That could pose a challenge for Mike Johnson, if the GOP retains control and restores the Louisiana Republican as House speaker, or Hakeem Jeffries, if Democrats retake the chamber and make history by installing the New York Democrat as the first Black speaker. If Donald Trump is returned to the White House, a Republican House could help advance his agenda while a Democratic-controlled chamber would serve as a potential roadblock, particularly if the GOP is able to flip the Senate, as it appears poised to do given a favorable map. As for Kamala Harris, she could be the first newly elected Democratic president in more than a century to start her term without concurring House and Senate majorities, though controlling at least one chamber could give her some much-needed leverage in negotiations. One clear sign of how consequential control of the chamber is to both parties: More than $1 billion has been spent on advertising in House races just since Labor Day, with Democrats accounting for more than 57% of that total, according to data from AdImpact. With so much at stake, CNN has identified 10 races to watch on Tuesday – grouped into buckets that nod to broader themes across the House landscape. This is far from an exhaustive list, but the selected contests could offer some clues about how the fight for control of the chamber may ultimately be settled. Inside Elections rating: Tilt Democratic