On June 10, 2026, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) swore Rep. James Gallagher (R-Calif.) into the U.S. House of Representatives, filling the vacancy in California’s 1st Congressional District.
The vacancy began on Jan. 5, 2026, after the death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.). In the special primary election on June 2, 2026, Gallagher defeated four other candidates with 61.8% of the vote. In California, a candidate running in a special primary election who wins more than 50% of the vote wins outright, and the special general election is canceled.
As of June 10, 2026, Republicans have a 218 to 212 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, with four vacancies. Additionally, Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.) is an independent who caucuses with Republicans.
Vacancies in the 119th Congress
So far in the 119th Congress, there have been 13 vacancies in the U.S. House and four in the U.S. Senate. Of those vacancies:
- Three in the U.S. Senate were filled via appointment.
- One in the U.S. Senate was filled when Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) was sworn into office 11 days after the start of the 119th Congress. Justice delayed his swearing-in in order to fulfill the remainder of his term as governor of West Virginia.
- Nine in the U.S. House were filled after special election winners were sworn in.
As of June 10, 2026, the vacancies in California's 14th Congressional District, Florida's 20th Congressional District, Georgia's 13th Congressional District, and Texas' 23rd Congressional District remained unfilled.
Of the 17 vacancies, the longest was in Texas' 18th Congressional District, which became vacant on March 5, 2025, following the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas). The vacancy ended on Feb. 2, 2026, after 334 days.
Congressional vacancies since the 113th Congress
During the 113th through 118th Congresses, there were 88 vacancies in the U.S. House and 16 in the U.S. Senate. The average length of a vacancy in the U.S. Senate during that period was seven days. The average length of a vacancy in the U.S. House during that period was 138 days.
The longest vacancy in the U.S. Senate during that period was in New Jersey. The vacancy occurred during the 118th Congress, when Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) resigned on Aug. 20, 2024. Following Menendez's resignation, the seat was vacant for 20 days.
The longest vacancy in the U.S. House during that period was in Michigan's 13th Congressional District. The vacancy occurred during the 115th Congress, when Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) resigned on Dec. 5, 2017. Following Conyers' resignation, the seat was vacant for 359 days.
