Speaker Mike Johnson already faces an almost daily attendance problem with his slim House majority, and the Texas elections on Tuesday might have made that dynamic worse.
The number of lawmakers in the House is 432, with 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats. With full attendance, Johnson can only afford to lose one vote and still get his agenda through the chamber. Any absences can complicate that math or effectively give control to the Democratic minority.
Rep. Wesley Hunt, who came in a distant third in the Texas Senate primary, had already missed dozens of House votes as he campaigned for a seat in the upper chamber. Rep. Dan Crenshaw became the first incumbent to lose his primary to state Rep. Steve Toth, a more MAGA-aligned candidate. The losses mean those two will not be returning to Congress next year.