Preacher Mike Johnson’s Republican majority now hinges on the mood on any given day of just one of the various glory-seeking self-important, delusional conspiracists in the GOP conference. Democratic state senator Tim Kennedy won a special election for the vacant New York 26th Congressional District seat Tuesday, CNN reports, temporarily leaving the Republican majority with just one vote to spare.
With a 217 Republican-213 Democratic split, Johnson can spare only one GOP defection if he hopes to pass any legislation, something he’s not been able to do effectively lately without Democratic help. That margin grows in the next eight weeks as other special elections in strong Red districts will fill vacant seats, including former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s old California district.