Mike Johnson's Slim House GOP Majority Expected to Shrink This Week
Source: Newsweek
Published Sep 08, 2025 at 11:49 AM EDT Updated Sep 08, 2025 at 5:26 PM EDT
Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw, the Democratic nominee in Virginia's special election on Tuesday, is being predicted by pundits to be victorious and fill late U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly's seat—a result that would narrow House Speaker Mike Johnson's already razor-thin GOP majority and complicate the chamber's ability to pass party-line measures.
"We feel good," Walkinshaw told Newsweek via phone on Monday. "We feel like we've run a strong campaign, [there's] a lot of energy. We've had huge getting-out-the-vote rallies over the weekend and knocked on more than 5,000 doors just this weekend, getting a great response from voters." Newsweek reached out to Johnson's office via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The anticipated Democratic pickup in the Virginia special election is significant because the House's current balance leaves Johnson with very little room for defections on party-line votes. Each vacancy or special election outcome could change how easily or how difficult it will be for the GOP to advance its agenda, including stopgap funding measures ahead of a pending government funding deadline at the end of September.
The current House makeup includes 431 seated members, with Republicans holding 219 seats and Democrats holding 212. A Walkinshaw victory would shrink the number of defections Johnson and his party could afford to two rather than the current three. This will also be the first special election held since Congress passed President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, essentially starting a countdown of massive campaigning for both parties' members ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/speaker-mike-johnson-gop-majority-special-election-2126337
= new reply since forum marked as read
and is/was filled with feds (many who were axed and a bunch who are DUers), I expect there should be no problem.
Years ago, I had a week-long supervisor training course in Fairfax and believe it or not, it was my first time actually going into a Walmart! There were no Walmarts here in the Philly area at the time. The first one didn't open here until 1995, probably because we already had a bunch of other discount stores like KMart, Clover and Caldor's (the latter two that I expect you remember), after the Woolworth's went bye bye. I still have a big wicker basket that I bought there at the time. 
We had Woolworths, Two Guys and K-Mart. 
I don't remember if we had any near us but I almost forgot the "original" and biggest "big box" of them all - SEARS!
I was still really little. My mom bought 'play clothes' for several years worth of use! 
Yes - I had play clothes. 
But nothing that some Tide could take care of!!! 
