It’s Thursday — 13 House Races, 3 Senate Races Yet Unresolved

Two days after Election Day, three Senate races and 13 House races remain unresolved. A runoff later this month will determine the winner of the Senate race in Mississippi.

House Democrats have already passed the threshold for a majority by winning 225 seats so far, wresting control of a chamber they haven’t held since 2010. Based on current projections, they could obtain as many as 234 seats — good for a 33-seat majority — though it is more likely they’ll land somewhere around 228 seats for a still-significant 21-seat margin.

In the Senate, the GOP not only held the line, but managed to flip Indiana, North Dakota and Missouri, states that President Donald Trump won by double digits in 2016.

Here are the outstanding races that will determine the size of the Republicans’ majority in the Senate and the Democrats’ majority in the House:

https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/its-thursday-15-house-races-2-senate-races-yet-to-be-called

The Replacements: Trump Has No Shortage of Candidates to Follow Sessions

There is no shortage of candidates to replace Jeff Sessions as attorney general, and President Donald Trump could even again turn to the Senate.

Sessions and Trump clashed almost from the start, with the president even admitting he gave the former Alabama lawmaker the job out of a sense of loyalty. Sessions was the first GOP senator to endorse Trump’s 2016 White House candidacy. As Democrats warn of a constitutional crisis, the president will get to pick a nominee this time for other reasons.

The president has made clear he wants the attorney general to protect him, which experts and Democratic lawmakers say is at odds with the role of the country’s top lawyer. But with Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III continuing his Russia election probe, Trump almost certainly will demand his pick be more hands-on with that probe and also view it with the same skepticism he does.

Trump is promising to announce a nominee “at a later date.” Here are some possible replacements.

https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/replacements-trump-no-shortage-candidates-follow-sessions

Congressional Ethics Office Refers Four Cases To House Committee

The Office of Congressional Ethics sent four referrals to the House Ethics committee for further review in the third quarter of 2018, according to a report released Thursday.

Although the report did not name names associated with the referrals, the Ethics Committee has announced actions on OCE referrals concerning current members between July and September.

In early September, the Ethics Committee announced it was reviewing a referral from the OCE about allegations that Rep. Rod Blum, R-Iowa, violated House ethics rules by failing to disclose his ownership role in a new company and that his top federal staffer was featured in a false testimonial promoting the company’s services. The panel has until Dec. 17 to announce whether it will impanel an investigative subcommittee or dismiss the matter. Blum was defeated earlier this week in Iowa’s 1st district by Democrat Abby Finkenauer.

The Ethics Committee began reviewing allegations against Rep. Tom Garrett on June 8 and received a referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics on Sept. 5. The Virginia Republican freshman, who did not seek re-election, faces allegations that he used his congressional aides to run personal errands for him and his wife on taxpayer-funded official time. He’s also been plagued by questions about whether his alcohol use has affected his work in Congress. The panel will announce its course of action on or before Dec. 4.

In both the Garrett and Blum's cases, it’s unlikely that the House Ethics Committee would assemble an investigative subcommittee on members who only have a few weeks left in office.

The House Ethics Committee voted in September to impanel investigative subcommittees to examine Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins, who both face federal indictments. But neither panel plans to conduct work on the investigation at this time, deferring to the Justice Department for now. The DOJ, which brought forth the charges and is leading prosecution efforts against both lawmakers, has asked the Ethics Committee to defer action on both matters, and it has agreed to do so.

Between January and September 2018, the Office of Congressional Ethics transmitted 12 cases to the House Ethics Committee for further review and two cases for dismissal.

https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/congressional-ethics-office-refers-four-cases-house-committee