Washington: On Saturday, Republicans were on the verge of securing control of the U.S. House of Representatives, a key development for President-elect Donald Trump as he prepares to push forward his agenda upon returning to the White House in January.

With votes still being tallied from the November 5 general election, Republicans had claimed 213 of the 435 House seats, according to Edison Research. The firm also projected that Representative Dan Newhouse would retain Republican control of Colorado's 3rd congressional district, further solidifying the GOP's position.

To maintain control of the House, Republicans need to secure five more seats, while already having enough victories to wrestle the Senate away from the Democrats. However, Edison Research had projected on Friday that Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen won re-election in Nevada, holding her seat.

Democrats had won 205 seats so far, with Edison Research projecting that Representative Greg Stanton of Arizona had successfully defended his seat. For Democrats to seize control of the House, they would need to win 13 of the remaining 17 contested seats.

With Trump’s presidential victory and the GOP poised to take control of the Senate, retaining the House would grant Republicans significant power to push through an ambitious agenda, potentially including tax cuts, spending reductions, energy deregulation, and enhanced border security.

Most of the remaining races are in competitive districts in Western states, where vote counting tends to take longer. Of the 17 seats still up for grabs, nine are currently held by Republicans, and eight by Democrats. Fourteen of these seats were considered highly competitive ahead of the election.

Next week, Republican senators will choose their party leader for 2025, with John Thune, John Cornyn, and Rick Scott all in the running. On Saturday, Senators Bill Hagerty and Rand Paul publicly endorsed Scott over the more senior Thune and Cornyn, who were initially seen as frontrunners.

Cornyn, in a statement late Saturday, promised that if he wins the leadership, he will keep the Senate in session until Trump’s cabinet is confirmed. “No weekends, no breaks. Democrats can either cooperate for the country's best interests or continue resisting, but resistance will ultimately be worn down,” he wrote on X.