Tim Kennedy Sworn Into House, Narrows GOP Majority To Razor Thin: ‘Awesome And Magnificent Responsibility … Granted To Me’

Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-N.Y.) was sworn into the House on Monday, effectively reducing the Republican majority to a mere single vote.

What Happened: Kennedy, a former state senator, emerged victorious in a special election in New York’s 26th Congressional District last week, defeating GOP candidate Gary Dickson. The seat was previously occupied by Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.), who retired in February, reported The Hill.

The induction of Kennedy into the House decreases the total count of Republicans to 217, against 213 Democrats. This shift further diminishes the GOP’s already thin majority, which has been shrinking due to a series of Republican resignations in recent months.

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The next seat to be filled is that of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), with a special election scheduled for May 21. Kennedy will serve out Higgins’ term through January and will also be on the ballot for a full term this November.

“This awesome and magnificent responsibility that’s been granted to me by the people of Western New York,” Kennedy expressed his gratitude and commitment to his constituents.

Why It Matters: Amid the ongoing turmoil within the GOP, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has claimed that the Democrats are effectively governing as the majority in the House.

In a CBS “60 Minutes” interview, Jeffries stated that the Democrats have been acting as if they were in the majority due to the fragmented state of the GOP.

“Even though we’re in the minority, we effectively have been governing as if we were in the majority because we continue to provide a majority of the votes necessary to get things done,” Jeffries said.

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