Democrat Adam Schiff wins Dianne Feinstein’s former Senate seat

Rep. Adam Schiff has won the late Dianne Feinstein's U.S. Senate seat, beating out GOP challenger and former MLB star Steve Garvey, The Associated Press projected Tuesday night.

Garvey, who refused to ask for an endorsement from former President Trump and embraced being a "conservative moderate," congratulated Schiff during an election night appearance with his supporters.

"I want you to know that, despite the outcome, that when the counting is over, we will have gotten the fourth most number of votes in the country," Garvey said. "This means that everyone in California does have a voice, and it will only grow louder and louder.

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"I want to sincerely thank you for your support and vote. It was an honor to be your nominee and represent you around this great state of ours, to discuss the issues and ideas that we care about most — the cost of living, fixing our homeless crisis, making our communities safe, improving our public schools and securing our border," Garvey said.

The Los Angeles-area congressman, who rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in President Trump’s first impeachment trial, defeated a Republican former baseball star who had tried to parlay his sports celebrity into a political career.

Schiff, who was favored to win in deeply blue California, did not immediately release a statement. 

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Garvey, a former MLB first baseman, spent a week in Israel as part of his campaign efforts earlier this year to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in California and set himself apart from his Democratic opponent during the college campus riots. 

Schiff shaped his campaign around national issues, including abortion rights, while continuing to play a foil to Trump, calling the former president a threat to democracy. He also contrasted his years of experience in Congress — Schiff was first elected to the House in 2000 — against Garvey, a first-time candidate who positioned himself as an outsider with a fresh perspective to deal with California’s long-running homeless crisis, inflation and housing costs.

Feinstein, a Democrat elected to the Senate in 1992, died at 90 in September 2023. Laphonza Butler, a Democratic insider and former labor leader, was appointed to the seat after Feinstein’s death and decided not to seek a full term this year.

Republicans in California have struggled in recent years to gain momentum in their campaigns, often overshadowed by a Democratic trifecta.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Fox News projects Republican Kelly Armstrong will win North Dakota governor’s race

The Fox News Decision Desk projects Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., will win the North Dakota governor's race.

Armstrong, who holds North Dakota's lone congressional seat, defeated Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller for the Republican nomination in the primary in June after winning the party's endorsement earlier this year. He was challenged in the general election by Democrat Merrill Piepkorn and independent candidate Michael Coachman.

Miller had won the backing of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who had run for the Republican presidential nomination and had also been reported to be a potential running mate for former President Trump. 

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Burgum has served two terms and chose not to seek a third term. Armstrong was elected to the House in 2018 after serving in the state Senate. He is an attorney and the former state GOP chairman.

"The short answer is I want to get home and start working — I miss people. I miss my friends. I miss my neighbors. I miss being in North Dakota, I really do," Armstrong said in an interview with The Associated Press in January. 

"Serving the state in Congress has been an absolute — the greatest — privilege of my life, but I really want to come home. I miss my friends in the Legislature. I miss the people who are more interested in solving problems than finding some mediocre social media fame."

Republicans have held the governor’s office since 1992. A Democrat has not won a statewide election in North Dakota since 2012. Some legislative races only had Republican candidates.

Armstrong will take office in mid-December and won the backing of former President Trump, who praised Armstrong for defending him through "two SHAM impeachments."

"Kelly Armstrong has my complete and total endorsement to be the next governor of the great state of North Dakota – HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN," Trump said on social media.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Trump endorses second GOP candidate in primary to replace pro-impeachment congressman

Former President Trump has endorsed a second GOP candidate in the primary for Washington’s 4th Congressional district in an effort to oust Rep. Dan Newhouse, who is one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach him in 2021 following the January 6 Capitol protests. 

Trump, in a post on Truth Social ahead of Tuesday’s vote, said, "Tiffany Smiley is a tremendous America First Candidate running to represent the Great People of Washington’s 4th Congressional District!" 

"Likewise, Jerrod Sessler, who I have Endorsed in the past, would be fantastic, fighting for the same things that Tiffany, and I, want for our Country," Trump continued. "They are both running against a weak and pathetic RINO, Dan Newhouse, who stupidly voted to impeach me for absolutely no reason, and he now strongly wishes he didn’t make that Decision. The other Impeachers are mostly all gone, a good thing for the U.S.A…." 

"Newhouse has to go, and Republicans need to unite behind a WINNER to ensure we have a tremendous Victory in November. Therefore, I give my Complete and Total Endorsement to both Tiffany Smiley and Jerrod Kessler – EITHER OF WHICH WILL DO A TREMENDOUS JOB, AND NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" he also said. 

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Trump described Smiley as a "Triage Nurse, Veterans Advocate, Army Wife, Loving Mother, and a Strong Supporter of our Movement to Make America Great Again," who "will be an INCREDIBLE Fighter in Congress who will work hard to Stop Inflation, Grow our Economy, Secure our Border, Strengthen our Incredible Military/Vets, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment." 

Newhouse, who is seeking his sixth term in office, told KEPR in May that "[s]ome people are still very adamant in their opposition to me," following his vote to impeach Trump on Jan. 13, 2021,"but I gotta tell you, there are a lot of people that will come up to me and say, 'Hey Dan maybe I disagree with that one vote but I support you on all the other things you're doing, I'm beyond that.’" 

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"And that's a good thing because we have so many issues that we face as a nation," he added. 

Smiley told KEPR the same month that if elected, she will focus on preserving dams in the lower Snake River, keeping illegal drugs out of communities in the central part of Washington state, and boosting agriculture. 

"The party here in this district is so divided and it's confusing, so this district deserves true representation, a representative who really reflects who we are in this district," she said. 

Trump endorses former Green Beret, Army colonel in their bids to flip House seats from blue to red

Former President Trump on Friday endorsed two Republican House candidates, both of whom served in the U.S. Army and are seeking to flip Democrat-held seats this fall.

Trump's endorsements of Derrick Anderson, a former U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret, and Laurie Buckhout, a former Army colonel, came one day after his debate against President Biden.

In his endorsement of Anderson, the Republican nominee to represent Virginia's 7th Congressional District, Trump said, "He bravely fought for our Great Country as a Green Beret, and was deployed to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. Unlike the current administration, he never left anyone behind!

"Derrick is America First all the way, and he is running against a weak and pathetic Democrat named Yevgeny ‘Eugene’ Vindman who, along with Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff and others, lied to push the Ukraine Impeachment Hoax, a continuation of the greatest and most dangerous Political WITCH HUNT in the History of our Country."

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Anderson is running for the seat held by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who announced in November that she would seek the Democratic Party's nomination for governor of Virginia in 2025.

"Derrick Anderson has my Complete and Total Endorsement - HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN," Trump said.

In announcing his campaign in September, Anderson told Fox News Digital he could "no longer remain silent on the sidelines."

"I have spent my life serving this country overseas, including combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Watching President Biden and Washington Democrats squander 22 years of sacrifices made by our service members and their families was the final straw for me," Anderson said at the time.

Anderson served in the Army from 2006 to 2014 before his first run for Congress in 2022. That year, he narrowly lost the Republican primary to former congressional candidate Yesli Vega. Spanberger, a former CIA operative, defeated Vega in the general election by just under 5%, securing her third term after she was first elected in the 2018 midterms.

Anderson advanced to the general election after defeating five other Republicans in the state's June 18 primary. He will face off against Vindman, the Democratic Party's nominee, Nov. 5.

In his endorsement of Buckhout, the Republican nominee to represent North Carolina's 1st Congressional District, Trump said, "Laurie bravely served our Country as an Army Colonel and Decorated Combat Commander and, in Congress, she will Grow the Economy, Lower Inflation, Uphold the Rule of Law, Secure our Border, Support our Military/Vets, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment."

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Trump said he believes Buckhout "will be an incredible Representative for the fantastic people" of the state's 1st congressional district.

"Laurie Buckhout has my Complete and Total Endorsement," the former president added.

Buckhout, who served for 26 years in the U.S. Army and reached the rank of colonel before she retired in 2010, is aiming to flip a blue House seat to red in her challenge against incumbent Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C.

Buckhout advanced to the general election in March after defeating Sandy Smith, her sole primary challenger.

Speaking to Fox News Digital earlier this year, Buckhout accused Davis, a U.S. Air Force veteran who served for 14 years in the North Carolina state Senate before getting elected to the House in Nov. 2022, of being a "career politician" who has "never had a day in his life where he's run a business."

Additionally, Buckhout accused Davis of being "beholden" to President Biden and the Democratic policies that continue to wreak havoc on her district.

Davis later fired back at Buckhout's allegations during an interview with Fox News Digital.

"Let me be clear. I want to thank Col. Buckhout for her service to our country. But I think she couldn't be more off on that whole comment because this is not about being beholden," the first-term lawmaker said. "I've heard about flipping the seat. But, for me, it's about fighting every day for families of eastern North Carolina."

Buckhout will face Davis, who ran unopposed, in the general election Nov. 5.

Key Dem Senate candidate who accused opponent of election denialism has history of questioning results

FIRST ON FOX: The Democrat running in one of this year's top Senate races, who accused his opponent of election denialism, also has a history of questioning the legitimacy of the vote.

Rep. Colin Allred, the Democratic nominee in Texas' Senate race, recently launched attacks against incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz for avoiding directly saying he would accept the results of the upcoming election, but appears to have forgotten his own statements openly suggesting that future election outcomes may need to be questioned.

"Ted Cruz views questions about our democracy as part of a cynical partisan game. Our democracy isn’t a game. It’s fundamental to who we are as Americans. Ted Cruz is a danger to our freedoms and shared values. We must fire him this November," Allred wrote on X, referencing an appearance by Cruz on liberal network CNN, where he clashed with one of its hosts asking if he'd accept the results this November.

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Cruz pushed back during the interview, questioning why the media never asks Democrats if they would accept election results. He argued that laws in place allowing for results to be challenged on the basis of voter fraud were there for a reason, and hit back at the host's claims there was no fraud during the 2020 election.

Allred, in fact, warned of such fraud ahead of the 2020 election, specifically during an August 2019 appearance at a town hall in Garland, Texas. During the event, he peddled claims that the 2016 election results were due to Russian interference by referencing the Mueller report and Russia hacking into election databases. He also argued there was a need to have "paper trails" on electronic voting machines.

"What we saw in that report may color some of what is happening here, in terms of a willingness to accept foreign interference in elections and things like that. And I think this has raised an entirely new specter for us, which is, is our next election going to be a legitimate one? And that, I think, is a proximate danger for our democracy," Allred said during an appearance on a local radio show in September 2019, again referencing the Mueller report.

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He similarly told a meeting of the Richardson Area Democrats a month later that he was troubled by "the idea that the next election might not be legitimate," suggesting then-President Trump might attempt to use foreign influence to boost his chances at re-election, and said he was "worried still about some of the abilities to hack and change voter rolls and even change vote totals."

Allred said at another town hall meeting that same month that the reason for the then-ongoing Trump impeachment inquiry was "because the legitimacy of the next election was put into question by this President’s actions." 

He said during a Capitol Hill press conference the following year, "We have to decide in this country who’s going to determine our elections. This is only the beginning of this. The Russians in 2016, other foreign influences in 2018. In 2020, there will be other adversaries who will try to take advantage of this."

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Allred continued using similar rhetoric following the 2020 election, including in a 2022 Business Insider article, where he warned of election subversion in that year's midterm elections and in 2024.

"I think there's a very real possibility that we will see in the next two elections, get some results sent to us for ratification – whether it's presidential, congressional or Senate, that's not consistent or that we're gonna have to question… I think that's the reality of the situation we can no longer pretend like these elections are just going to continue to proceed the way they have in the past," he said.

Fox News Digital asked Allred's campaign the same question CNN posed to Cruz: Whether he would accept the outcome of the 2024 election. It offered no response.

Josh Stewart, a spokesperson for Allred's campaign, told Fox regarding the congressman's past questioning of elections, "The only person in this race who tried to overturn a free and fair election is Ted Cruz. Texans saw it with their own eyes on Jan. 6, and come November, they are going to hold him accountable."

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Trump-endorsed NASCAR driver wins key GOP primary in Maine

Maine State Rep. Austin Theriault, a Republican better known as a former NASCAR driver and 2019 ARCA Menards Series champion, was projected Tuesday to win the Republican nomination for Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

He defeated Marine veteran Mike Soboleski in the district, which covers a plurality of the state, including much of its rural expanse. 

Theriault, who was endorsed by former President Trump, said during his campaign that people are looking for candidates with experience in business, like the presumptive GOP presidential nominee and himself.

Theriault's hometown of Fort Kent is known both as the "other" ‘Mile 0’ of US Route 1 -- versus Key West, Fla. -- and a key international border crossing.

To that end, Theriault made border security a hallmark of his campaign.

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"I know that we live thousands of miles away from the southern border, but it's a huge issue because of the drugs coming across and the human trafficking," he told WMTW.

Theriault, who also raced a handful of times in NASCAR's marquee cup series, will face "blue dog" Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine in November.

Golden, who notably split his 2019 votes on Trump's two impeachment counts at the time, represents a district that also leans to the right for New England.

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Since the early 1900s, the district has flipped from blue to red and back every few terms. Golden has been in the seat since he defeated Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine, in 2018. 

Golden's win over Poliquin at the time was an early test of the controversial ranked-choice voting practice adopted by a growing list of states since then.

In his Monday endorsement of Theriault, Trump said Golden wrongly "poses as a bipartisan politician," while the Republican nominee, "will work hard to secure the border, protect our always under siege Second Amendment, stop crime, cut taxes and defend our brave law enforcement."

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Theriault's last big win came in 2017 when he won what is now called the Hard Rock Bet 200, a premier ARCA race during Daytona's Speedweeks at the proverbial "World Center of Racing."

The 2nd Congressional District has a Cook PVI of R+6, which casts Golden as a vulnerable Democrat come November.

Former Trump official wins tight Texas GOP primary runoff

A former Trump campaign official has won a tight primary fight and will now serve as the representative of a deep-red Texas House district.

Republican Katrina Pierson, who served as the spokesperson for former President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, defeated incumbent state Rep. Justin Holland in Tuesday's primary runoff for Texas' 33rd House District, and is the presumptive winner of November's general election since no Democrat candidate is standing in the race.

Pierson had the backing of Republican Texas Gov. Gregg Abott, who sought to oust incumbent Republicans opposed to some of his policy objectives.

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Holland, who was first elected in 2016, opposed key legislation supported by Abbott that would have paved the way for Texas parents to send their children to private or religious affiliated schools using public funding. A group of 21 Republicans, including Holland, joined all Democrats in opposing the measure last year.

Holland has also faced scrutiny for a number of other positions he's taken, including supporting legislation last year that would have raised the age to purchase "assault" style rifles from 18 to 21, and voting in favor of impeaching Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Pierson gained Paxton's backing ahead of the March primary, while Abbott endorsed her ahead of the runoff.

Republicans currently hold 86 of the 150 seats in the Texas state House, a majority of 11.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

House Dems seeking re-election seemingly reverse course, call on Biden to ‘bring order to the southern border’

Five vulnerable Democrats who voted against measures to strengthen border security in the past have seemingly changed their tune as they seek re-election to their posts in the lower chamber.

Following President Biden's signing of a $95 billion package with aid to both Ukraine and Israel last week, five Democrats – Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Mary Peltola of Alaska, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas and Don Davis of North Carolina – released a joint statement agreeing with calls for Congress and the president to "act and bring order to the southern border."

"Beyond defending our allies, we strongly agree with the National Border Patrol Council that Congress and the President must act and bring order to the Southern border," the lawmakers stated. "That is why we also voted for H.R. 3602 on Saturday, and why we all voted last month for $19.6 billion for Border Patrol so that it could ramp up its efforts to secure the border."

The comments from the five Democrats – three of whom (Golden, GluesenKamp, and Davis) are engaged in tough re-election battles that have been labeled "toss up" races by the Cook Political Report, and another two (Peltola and Gonzalez) competing in races labeled "lean Democrat" – came after each one of them voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023.

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That bill, which passed in the House, would have expanded the type of crimes that make someone ineligible for asylum, limited the eligibility to those who arrive at ports of entry, mandated a system similar to the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system, and created additional penalties for visa overstay.

In addition to not supporting the Secure the Border Act, the same five Democrats voted on two different occasions against GOP-led efforts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whom many Republicans have argued is largely responsible for the migrant crisis at the southern border.

Certain Democrats, like Gluesenkamp Perez, who was first elected to Congress in 2022 and co-chairs the Blue Dog Coalition with Golden and Peltola, have made dismissive comments about the border crisis in recent years.

The Washington lawmaker previously faced criticism from Republicans over border-related comments she made in March 2023 during an appearance on Pod Save America, which came prior to the ending of the Title 42 public health order.

"Listen, nobody stays awake at night worrying about the southern border," she said at the time. "That's just not… people stay awake at night worrying that their kid is gonna relapse or that, you know, someone's going to drop out of school or they're going to lose their house."

Gluesenkamp Perez was also one of many Democrats who defended Mayorkas amid calls for his impeachment earlier this year, saying it was "frustrating to see" Republicans push for his ouster because "he doesn't set policy, he implements it."

Despite her past remarks, Gluesenkamp Perez has been critical of Biden's handling of the border crisis in recent months, saying in April that she voted in support of H.R. 3602, which provides for criminal penalties for certain conduct that interferes with U.S. border control measures, because "President Biden has failed to end the crisis at our Southern Border."

"Every country has an obligation to protect its citizens and secure its sovereign borders, and H.R. 3602 focuses on the urgent need to restore operational control of the Southern Border. Unlike the unworkable and un-American immigration proposals pushed by far-right extremists, this bipartisan bill doesn’t create burdensome government mandates that would harm small businesses, agricultural employers, rural communities, and our economy," she said at the time.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a member of the congresswoman's press team insisted that she has "called on the [Biden] Administration her entire time in office to fix the crisis at our Southern Border, and for Congress to do its job to pass meaningful border security legislation."

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The spokesperson also touted the Washington lawmaker's introduction of the "Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act to restore operational control at the Southern Border by restoring expulsion authority for Border Patrol and requiring the President to reinstate Remain in Mexico," as well as her support for the End Fentanyl Act.

"Marie continues to urge Congress to get back to work to address the real crisis at our border and end the petty gamesmanship," the spokesperson said.

Gonzalez is another Democrat who made dismissive remarks prior to the expiration of Title 42, which provided the ability for American officials to bar migrants from entering the country during a health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a July 2023 stop in Edinburgh, Texas, Gonzalez reportedly shot down questions and concern over whether Biden was doing enough to secure the southern border amid an overwhelming influx of illegal immigrants.

"We have seen major improvements along the border.… If you go to the border now, in our region, it’s pretty unremarkable what you see," Gonzalez said, according to the Rio Grande Guardian. "When they lifted Title 42 and implemented Title 7, which I advocated against… I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong. What the president did, what Secretary Mayorkas has done, has positively impacted our border and that’s a fact."

"People could point fingers and say things, but the reality is, undocumented crossings are down by 70%," he added at the time.

A little more than a week after Gonzalez gave those remarks, the Texas Tribune reported that Border Patrol agents "made more than 130,000 arrests along the Mexico border [in July 2023], preliminary figures show, up from 99,545 in June."

Gonzalez is one of 154 Democrats who voted this January against the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, which would have created hefty federal penalties for illegal migrants who evade U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers during motor vehicle pursuits. The measure was named after a Border Patrol officer who died in a vehicle crash in Texas last year during a pursuit.

Along with Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez, Gonzalez was one of 201 Democrats who voted in July 2023 against the Schools Not Shelters Act, which would have prohibited "the use of the facilities of a public elementary school, a public secondary school, or an institution of higher education to provide shelter for aliens who have not been admitted into the United States, and for other purposes."

Peltola joined 218 Republicans in voting in favor of that measure at the time, while Davis did not vote.

"I remain dedicated to addressing the border crisis. However, we must not inflict harm on American agriculture in the process," Davis said in a statement to Fox. "Initially, I had concerns about the e-verify provision in HR-2, but it was removed, allowing me to fully lend my support, along with just four other Democrats, to H.R. 3602, the Bipartisan End the Border Catastrophe Act."

Asked whether he believes Biden is responsible for the border crisis, Davis said his "votes speak for themselves."

CBP records show the first six months of fiscal year 2024 had 1,340,801 total encounters, exceeding the first six months of fiscal year 2023, which set a record of 1,226,254 total encounters.

Johnson to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago amid speakership threat

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will meet former President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Friday as the embattled House leader faces a threat to his speakership from Trump loyalist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

Johnson and Trump have already been at odds on the House passing an additional $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, which Johnson has for months declined to allow the House to vote on legislation already passed by the Democratic-led Senate. 

Trump has previously stated that he would end the war within 24 hours should he be reelected, while he has also touted converting the cost of weapons transfers to Ukraine into a loan.

Trump also encouraged GOP lawmakers to successfully "kill" reauthorizing FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a measure Johnson backed. The speaker is set to try again to push the measure through the House.

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Meanwhile, earlier this month, Greene authored a resolution to force the House to take a vote of no confidence in the speaker. Greene railed at Johnson for negotiating spending bills with Democrats and forgoing the GOP’s internal rule, requiring 72 hours before voting on legislation.

She is also a staunch opponent of providing more aid to Ukraine. Greene and Johnson met on Wednesday, with Greene saying she is still frustrated with the speaker’s handling of several hot-button issues.

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Nevertheless, Trump is expected to back the leadership of Johnson, who defended the former president in two impeachment trials.

In fact, Friday’s meeting has been billed as a "major announcement on election integrity," and to tout legislation that would prevent noncitizens from voting, although no further details have been provided.

The joint appearance will also give Johnson an opportunity to publicly showcase his close ties to Trump.

"It’s about Trump embracing Johnson," former Speaker Newt Gingrich said of Friday’s joint appearance, per the New York Times. "This is Trump saying, ‘He is the speaker, I am his friend, we are together.’ That’s a pretty important thing for him. He just has to endure."

The high-profile joint appearance comes days after Trump met with former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron at Mar-a-Lago.

Why members of Congress decide they ‘gotta get out of this place’

It is unclear if Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., and several dozen other lawmakers are channeling The Animals’ frontman Eric Burdon. 

However, they certainly share the same sentiments. Congress is not a very fun place to be anymore, and that is why lawmakers are skipping out early, retiring even before their term completes next January. 

A reporter asked Buck about what "frustrated" him on Capitol Hill and what made working there so "difficult."

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"Do you really need me to explain what’s so difficult about this?" replied Buck. 

The 118th Congress has been one of the rockiest and whackiest in recent memory and certainly one of the least productive. The valleys include the five days the House consumed to elect a speaker to multiple flirtations with the debt ceiling and government shutdown. Then there was the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The House burned through three more speaker candidates before tapping House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Despite toiling in the minority, Democrats now provide the majority of votes on many major issues which pass the House, especially on government funding. However, a broad, bipartisan coalition of lawmakers recently voted to curb access to TikTok in the U.S. 

The TikTok vote scored major headlines, but so did the House vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

And, as is custom, the House GOP’s first attempt at impeachment failed before they took a mulligan.

Three Republicans helped tank the initial Mayorkas impeachment vote: Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc. — who is retiring — and Buck — who is leaving before his term ends. 

The Colorado Republican cited impeachment as among his decisions to skip out of the 118th Congress early.

"We’ve taken impeachment, and we made it a social media issue as opposed to a Constitutional one," said Buck. "This place just keeps going down. I don’t really want to spend my time here."

Former Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, resigned early a few weeks ago to become the president of Youngstown State University. Former Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., left early to run an arts organization in Buffalo, New York. Fox is told there could be other lawmakers who ditch Capitol Hill before their term is up.

It is about the math.

Buck told Fox he will formally resign at the end of the day on March 22. This squeezes the meager GOP majority in the House. There will be 431 members. 218 Republicans to 213 Democrats. At this moment, the breakdown is 219 Republicans to 213 Democrats. That is a margin of six. However, Republicans can only lose two votes. That is because a tie vote fails automatically in the House. When Buck hits the exit ramp, the margin shrivels to five. However, the GOP can still only drop two votes on any given roll call without help from the other side. 

Here is where things get really interesting.

There is a special election for the seat formerly occupied by Higgins on April 30. Strange things sometimes unfold in special elections because it’s impossible to determine the turnout. However, the Higgins seat is a Democratic district. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) garnered 57% of the vote in that district. Republican Gary Dickson runs against Democrat Tim Kennedy. If Kennedy prevails, Democrats hold the seat, and the numbers change again in the House. 

There will be 432 members. 218 Republicans to 214 Democrats. The margin is four seats, but the GOP cannot lose two votes and still pass a bill without help from across the aisle. Again, tie votes come into play. Republicans will be down to only a solitary vote to spare.

This is where things get very dangerous for the GOP. They cannot lose anyone who is out sick or missed a flight. They cannot have someone disappear for a week or two for a family matter. And unfortunately, there are untimely deaths among members from time to time. 

That said, things may improve for Republicans. There is a likely runoff on May 21 to fill McCarthy's seat, who resigned in December. The GOP could build its ranks slowly if they win that special election. In fact, Republicans could even have reinforcements if one of the candidates scores more than 50.1% tonight — averting the runoff.

However, there is a broader problem. Could other members just quit like Buck? What if they’re as fed up as he is? What if they’re retiring and have big paycheck offers outside Congress and want to leave now?

Multiple members confided to Fox they anticipate more exits over the summer, and certainly after the election. The Senate has flipped control in the middle of a Congress before — most recently in 2001. That was when late Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., dropped his affiliation with Republicans and decided to caucus with the Democrats in a 50-50 Senate. You should not rule out anything, considering how strange and unpredictable this Congress has been. 

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Buck expressed his disgust just moments after he announced his departure. 

The House Judiciary Committee invited special counsel Robert Hur to testify last week about his investigation into how President Biden handled classified documents after he left the vice presidency. Hur caught flak from both sides. Democrats took umbrage that Hur appeared to go out of his way to write about the president’s age and perceived cognitive issues. Republicans questioned Hur about why he did not prosecute Mr. Biden, despite having what they believed saw as good reason to do so.

Buck spoke directly to Hur when it was his turn to speak from the dais.

"From what I've observed in this hearing, is that one side thinks you're trying to get President Trump elected and the other side thinks you're trying to get President Biden elected. I served as a prosecutor for 25 years. I know that you're going to take grief from both sides," said Buck. "But when both sides attack you, my admonition is ‘Welcome to Congress.’"

It is unclear what the next couple of months have in store for the House membership. Congress is not very pleasant right now. The sides can barely get together to avoid multiple government shutdowns or to lift the debt ceiling. There is a lack of trust between members. Republicans struggled for months to even pass their own bills. That is to say nothing of the GOP relying on Democrats to provide most of the votes on major bills like government funding.

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"We gotta get out of this place," sang Eric Burdon with the Animals. "There’s a better life for me and you."

And that is exactly the thinking of lawmakers who are storming the exits.