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Six House seats that could flip from blue to red in 2024, potentially giving GOP a bigger majority

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Six House seats that could flip from blue to red in 2024, potentially giving GOP a bigger majority

A handful of House seats currently held by Democrats could flip in the 2024 elections, giving Republicans a potential sigh of relief as they seek to build on their slim majority.

All 435 seats in the House are up for grabs this cycle amid the GOP’s fight to pick up seats in districts that favor right-wing candidates. That fight will likely take place in districts that were won, or narrowly lost, by Republicans in recent elections.

Republicans currently hold a 218-to-213 majority in the chamber. Amid the resignations and departures by several Republicans from the House in recent months, that number is expected to fall even further on April 19, when Wisconsin GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher, the chairman of the House select committee on China, leaves Congress.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election analyst, currently ranks 11 Democrat-held seats as “Toss Up” races this cycle. Several of those races also include districts won, or nearly won, by former President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

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Six House seats currently held by Democrats could flip in the 2024 elections, giving Republicans the ability to expand their slim majority in the chamber. (Getty Images)

Of the many races, here are six House seats currently held by Democrats that could flip in 2024:

Maine’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, is looking to continue his representation of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District — a position he has held since 2019 — in the state’s November election.

Two Republicans are running in the state’s June 11 primary election, which uses a ranked-choice voting method, to challenge Golden — Maine state Rep. Michael Soboleski and Austin Theriault, a former NASCAR driver who also serves in the state House.

Once characterized by Politico as one of the “Trumpiest seats” for Democrats to defend, the district categorized as a “Democrat Toss Up” by the Cook Political Report covers four-fifths of the state, including the cities of Lewiston, Bangor and Auburn.

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Despite the odds that are reportedly stacked against him in terms of voter demographics, Golden, a Marine Corps veteran who has bucked his party on a number of issues in recent years while serving as a co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, has won the seat three times — in 2018, 2020 and 2021.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, at the U.S. Capitol on March 6, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Ohio’s 9th Congressional District

Currently represented by longtime Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Ohio’s 9th Congressional District is a seat that Republicans are looking to pick up in the state’s 2024 election.

Kaptur, a Toledo native who has represented the recently redrawn Ohio district in the House since 1983, is currently the longest serving woman in the history of Congress.

But that could all change later this year as Kaptur, whose votes align with President Biden’s interests nearly 100% of the time, plans to face off against Derek Merrin, her Republican challenger in the race.

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Merrin, who was endorsed by Trump just prior to the state’s GOP primary election last month, currently serves as a state representative. He previously served as a councilman and as mayor of the City of Waterville.

The race has been labeled by the Cook Political Report as a “Democrat Toss Up” in 2024.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, has represented Ohio’s 9th Congressional District since 1983. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

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Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District

In Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright is looking to retain his post in the House.

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Cartwright has voted nearly in lock-step with Biden since assuming office in 2019, giving Republicans who have largely focused on the economy and other topics like immigration and crime something to talk about.

Though the primary elections in the state won’t take place until April 23, Cartwright, the presumed nominee for his party, is likely to face off against Rob Bresnahan Jr., the sole Republican challenging him.

Bresnahan has served as the chief financial officer and CEO of a family business, an electrical contracting company, since the age of 16, and his website states that he is “uniquely qualified to send a jolt of energy through Congress and deliver results” for the residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The race has been labeled by the Cook Political Report as a “Democrat Toss Up” in 2024.

Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., has represented Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District since 2019. (Getty Images)

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Washington’s 3rd Congressional District

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., also co-chair of the moderate Democrats’ Blue Dog Coalition in the House, is seeking re-election to the House after serving a single term in office representing Washington’s 3rd Congressional District.

Perez is running in a race that has been labeled by the Cook Political Report as a “Democrat Toss Up” in 2024.

Perez, who was first elected to the House in 2022, is one of five candidates who will take part in the state’s nonpartisan primary election on August 6.

The current Republican candidates looking to unseat the congresswoman include U.S. Army veteran Joe Kent, who ran against Perez in 2022 and narrowly lost, as well as Leslie French and Leslie Lewallen.

Kent, according to his campaign website, is “focused on restoring common sense Republican values and defeating the woke extremist Democrat Congresswoman Marie Perez.”

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Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., was first elected to the House in 2022. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Alaska’s At-Large Congressional District

Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola, the first Democrat to represent Alaska’s at-large congressional district in nearly 50 years, is hoping to earn the support of Alaskans through its ranked-choice voting method later this year.

Peltola, who was elected to serve a full term in the House in 2022 and has worked to portray herself as a moderate ever since, previously served for a decade as a member of the Alaska state House.

An Alaska native, Peltola is now gearing up for a political showdown for the Last Frontier as she prepares to take on Republican candidates Nick Begich and Nancy Dahlstrom, the state’s current lieutenant governor, in Alaska’s August 20 primary election.

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Peltola, who also serves as a co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, has faced criticism from her GOP challengers for failing to vote in favor of the interests of Alaska residents.

“We like Mary as a person, but we don’t like her voting record. She’s not speaking for Alaskans,” Dahlstrom told Fox News Digital earlier this year.

Similarly, Begich told Fox that “voters are furious” with the way Peltola has represented Alaska on the federal level.

Rep. Mary Peltola has represented Alaska in the House since 2022. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Michigan’s  7th Congressional District

Another House seat, Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, is an open seat that many in the political sphere are paying close attention to after incumbent Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, announced in February 2023 she would run for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

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The district — which includes the counties of Branch, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson and Lenawee, as well as large portions of Calhoun and Washtenaw counties — was narrowly lost by Trump during the last presidential election.

Two former Michigan state senators, Republican Tom Barrett and Democrat Curtis Hertel Jr., are running to represent the district in the state’s 2024 election.

The race is labeled a “Democrat Toss Up” by the Cook Political Report.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., announced in February 2023 that she would run for the Senate. (Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Though not as competitive, according to Cook Political Report ratings, Republicans are also eyeing Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, where more than a dozen Republicans and Democrats are seeking their respective parties’ nomination for the seat in the state’s June 18 primary elections.

Former U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret and combat veteran Derrick Anderson is the leading Republican in the race and has received endorsements from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and several other members of GOP leadership in the House.

The Virginia seat is currently held by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who announced in November her decision to run for governor of the state in 2025. The seat has been ranked as a “Lean Democrat” by the Cook Political Report.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., announced in November her decision to run for governor of Virginia in 2025. (Getty Images)

Despite the potential pick-up opportunities for the GOP in the House, several Republicans, many of whom represent districts won by President Biden in 2020, could be in jeopardy of losing their seats in the lower chamber later this year.

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Similar to that of current Democrat-held seats that could flip, the Cook Political Report currently ranks 11 GOP-held seats as “Toss Up” races this cycle.



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Wyoming

Wyoming court blocks fetal heartbeat abortion law

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Wyoming court blocks fetal heartbeat abortion law


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A Wyoming judge temporarily blocked the state’s newest abortion limit, halting enforcement of a law that prohibits most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, generally around six weeks of pregnancy.

Natrona County District Judge Dan Forgey on Friday granted temporary injunctive relief against the Human Heartbeat Act while the case plays out in court.

The plaintiffs “made a sufficient showing of irreparable injury,” Forgey wrote, adding that “the state defendants did not persuasively argue otherwise.”

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He also said the plaintiffs had made “a sufficient showing of probable success” under Article 1, Section 38 of the Wyoming Constitution, which protects individuals’ rights to make their own healthcare decisions.

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Mark Gordon, governor of Wyoming, during the DC Blockchain Summit in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The ruling is the latest turn in Wyoming’s long-running abortion fight and comes just months after the Wyoming Supreme Court struck down two earlier abortion restrictions, finding they violated the state constitution’s healthcare autonomy protections. That January decision reshaped the legal landscape in Wyoming and prompted lawmakers to try again with a narrower ban tied to the detection of fetal cardiac activity.

The law, passed during the Legislature’s 2026 session and signed by Republican Gov. Mark Gordon on March 9, took effect in March. It bars abortion beyond roughly the sixth week of pregnancy, once a fetal heartbeat is detected. The measure includes exceptions for medical emergencies that threaten a woman’s life or health, but not for pregnancies caused by rape or incest.

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“Where the act does not align to my pro-life stance is in the concern for specific vulnerable populations,” Gordon wrote in a letter to lawmakers Monday.

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It echoes his reservations and expected legal fight when signing the law in March.

“I resoundingly share the determination to defend the lives of unborn children and support the intentions behind the Human Heartbeat Act,” he wrote in a statement. “Regrettably, this Act represents another well-intentioned but likely fragile legal effort with significant risk of ending in the courts rather than in lasting, durable policy. Rather than finding a remedy that saves the unborn, I fear we have only added another chapter to the sad saga of repeatedly trying to force a specific solution.”

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Gordon’s signing made Wyoming the fifth state to bar most abortions at that stage of pregnancy, along with Florida, Georgia, Iowa and South Carolina. Thirteen other states bar abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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San Francisco, CA

The 2026 NFL Draft is complete. See the 49ers projected depth chart

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The 2026 NFL Draft is complete. See the 49ers projected depth chart


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That’s a wrap for the 2026 NFL Draft. Three days of the top football prospects yearning to actualize their dreams of making it to the NFL, are in the books.

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The San Francisco 49ers concluded their selection after adding eight new players through the draft including Mississippi receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, Texas Tech edge Romello Height and Indiana running back Kaelon Black.

All of the 49ers players were selected in the second round or later, after the team traded the No. 27 overall pick for extra selections.

“Our gut was to stay and pick. We really like De’Zhaun Stribling. Everything that he stands for. The player, the person. We have a deal, the highest standard as a 49er in our draft process is called the gold helmet. It’s checking every box, on the field, off the field, athleticism. De’Zhaun was one of the 16 that we gave this year,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said. “So to make that your first pick at wide receiver, the way that he plays, his physicality that he plays with, his speed, his size. We just love the whole package and it kept growing and growing to the point where we were proud to make him a 49er.”

The full list of 49ers draftees includes Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton, Washington offensive lineman Carter Willis, Washington defensive back Ephesians Prysock, Louisiana linebacker Jaden Dugger and Kansas offensive lineman Enrique Cruz Jr.

While some players in the draft immediately earn starting jobs on their new teams, the newest 49ers most likely won’t be. Between key starters returning and splash offseason signings, San Francisco’s incoming rookie class will look to earn time on the field starting as second- or third-string players.

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Here’s a look at the projected depth chart for the 49ers following the 2026 draft:

Here’s a look at the San Francisco 49ers projected depth chart for the 2026 season, following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft. Projected starters names are listed in bold, non-starters will have their respective string. *= 2026 draft class

Offense:

Quarterbacks

  • Brock Purdy
  • Mac Jones (2nd)
  • Kurtis Rourke (3rd)
  • Adrian Martinez (4th)

Running backs

  • Christian McCaffrey
  • Jordan James (2nd)
  • Kaelon Black* (3rd)
  • Isaac Guerendo (4th)

Wide receivers

  • Mike Evans
  • Ricky Pearsall
  • Christian Kirk
  • De’Zhaun Stribling* (2nd)
  • Demarcus Robinson (2nd)
  • Jordan Watkins (2nd)
  • Jacob Cowing (3rd)
  • Malik Turner (3rd)
  • Colton Dowell (3rd)
  • Junior Bergen (4th)
  • Brandon Aiyuk (4th)

Tight ends

  • George Kittle
  • Jake Tonges (2nd)
  • Luke Farrell (3rd)
  • Brayden Willis (4th)

Fullbacks

Offensive linemen

  • Trent Williams (LT)
  • Carver Willis* (2nd)
  • Vederian Lowe (3rd)
  • Austen Pleasants (4th)
  • Robert Jones (LG)
  • Brett Toth (2nd)
  • Connor Colby (3rd)
  • Nick Zakelj (4th)
  • Jake Brendel (C)
  • Drake Nugent (2nd)
  • Dominick Puni (RG)
  • Colton McKivitz (RT)
  • Enrique Cruz Jr.* (2nd)
  • Brandon Parker (3rd)
  • Isaac Alarcon (4th)

Defense:

Defensive edge

  • C.J. West (left)
  • Sebastian Valdez (2nd)
  • Osa Odighizuwa (right)
  • Gracen Halton* (2nd)

Defensive tackle

  • Alfred Collins
  • Evan Anderson

Linebackers

  • Nick Bosa (WLB)
  • Sam Okuayinonu (2nd)
  • Romello Height* (3rd)
  • Andrew Farmer II (4th)
  • Dre Greenlaw (LILB)
  • Luke Gifford (2nd)
  • Garret Wallow (3rd)
  • Nick Martin (4th)
  • Fred Warner (RILB)
  • Tatum Bethune (2nd)
  • Jaden Dugger* (3rd)
  • Jalen Graham (4th)
  • Mykel Williams (SLB)
  • Keion White (2nd)
  • Cameron Sample (3rd)
  • William Bradley-King (4th)

Defensive backs

  • Deommodore Lenoir (LCB)
  • Jack Jones (2nd)
  • Darrell Luter Jr. (3rd)
  • Eli Apple (4th)
  • Renardo Green (RCB)
  • Nate Hobbs (2nd)
  • Ephesians Prysock* (3rd)
  • Tre Tomlinson (4th)
  • Ji’Ayir Brown (SS)
  • Marques Sigle (2nd)
  • Malik Mustapha (FS)
  • Darrick Forrest (2nd)
  • Derrick Canteen (3rd)
  • Upton Stout (NB)
  • Siran Neal (2nd)

Special Teams

  • Eddy Pineiro (PK)
  • Corliss Waitman (Punter, holder)
  • Jacob Cowing (PR)
  • Isaac Guerendo (KR)
  • Jon Weeks (LS)

The 49ers weren’t done at the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft. San Francisco continued to build their roster by signing undrafted free agents.

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Here’s a list of their undrafted free agent signings:

  • Duce Chestnut, S, Syracuse
  • Khalil Dinkins, TE, Penn State
  • Mikhail Kamara, Edge, Indiana
  • Will Pauling, WR, Notre Dame
  • James Thompson, DT, Illinois

You can follow the complete team-by-team list for all 32 here.

NFL draft’s best undrafted free agents

USA TODAY Sports’ Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz provides a ranking of the top 10 best available undrafted free agents after the NFL draft.



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Denver, CO

PHOTOS: Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of first-round NBA playoff series

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PHOTOS: Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of first-round NBA playoff series


The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 112-96 in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series in the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday, April 24, 2026. The Timberwolves took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series as the teams head back to Denver for game 5.



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