Democrat Derek Tran wins California’s 45th congressional district
Democrat Derek Tran has won election to the US House of Representatives in California’s 45th congressional district, beating incumbent Michelle Steel.
The AP has called the race for Tran after a weeks-long count. Republicans already control the US House, as well as the Senate, but picking up the seat is a big win for Democrats, who lost it to Steel in 2020.
Although Steel initially had a commanding lead, the race became neck and neck as election workers tallied more ballots.
Key events
This live coverage is ending now, thanks for following along. You can read the latest on Democrats winning a California house seat here:
Democrat Derek Tran ousted Republican Michelle Steel in a southern California House district Wednesday that was specifically drawn to give Asian Americans a stronger voice on Capitol Hill.
Steel said in a statement: “Like all journeys, this one is ending for a new one to begin.” When she captured the seat in 2020, Steel joined Washington state Democrat Marilyn Strickland and California Republican Young Kim as the first Korean American women elected to Congress.
Tran, a lawyer and worker rights advocate and the son of Vietnamese refugees, declared victory earlier this week. He said his win “is a testament to the spirit and resilience of our community. As the son of Vietnamese refugees, I understand firsthand the journey and sacrifices many families in our district have made for a better life.”
President Joe Biden’s administration is urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of those as young as 18, the Associated Press reports.
A senior Biden administration official, who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private consultations, said Wednesday that the outgoing Democratic administration wants Ukraine to lower the mobilization age to 18 from the current age of 25 to expand the pool of fighting-age men available to help a badly outnumbered Ukraine in its nearly three-year-old war with Russia.
The official said “the pure math” of Ukraine’s situation now is that it needs more troops in the fight. Currently Ukraine is not mobilizing or training enough soldiers to replace its battlefield losses while keeping pace with Russia’s growing military, the official added.
Republican senator introduces bill to abolish US Department of Education
Erum Salam
A bill that would accomplish Donald Trump’s goal of abolishing the federal Department of Education has been introduced into the US Senate.
The Republican senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota introduced the bill, called the Returning Education to Our States Act, on Thursday. If passed, the bill would see $200bn in funding and the work of the education department redistributed to other federal agencies and states.
“The federal Department of Education has never educated a single student, and it’s long past time to end this bureaucratic department that causes more harm than good,” Rounds said in a statement announcing the bill.
He added: “For years, I’ve worked toward removing the federal Department of Education. I’m pleased that president-elect Trump shares this vision, and I’m excited to work with him and Republican majorities in the Senate and House to make this a reality. This legislation is a roadmap to eliminating the federal Department of Education by practically rehoming these federal programs in the departments where they belong, which will be critical as we move into next year.”
Major responsibilities of the Department of Education would be rerouted to other offices: the administration of federal student loans would become the responsibility of the treasury department; the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which enforces protections for the 7.5 million students with special needs, would fall under the Department of Health and Human Services; the Fulbright-Hays Program would be overseen by the Department of State.
Biden preparing $725m weapons package for Ukraine
US President Joe Biden’s administration is preparing a $725m weapons package for Ukraine, two US officials told Reuters on Wednesday, as the outgoing president seeks to bolster the government in Kyiv before leaving office in January.
According to an official familiar with the plan, the Biden administration plans to provide a variety of anti-tank weapons from US stocks to blunt Russia’s advancing troops, including landmines, drones, Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
Today So Far
Thanks for joining us so far today. Here are some of the top headlines we’ve covered:
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The Associated Press called two more House races, leaving only one congressional race undecided. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican, won reelection in her district in Iowa; while Democrat Derek Tran won his race in California’s 45th congressional district, beating incumbent Michelle Steel.
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Canada and Mexico have begun considering retaliatory tariffs they may levy on certain items from the United States should Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods.
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Several Trump appointees were confirmed to have been targets of bomb threats at their homes on Wednesday. The FBI confirmed it is investigating the threats. Those targeted include: Pete Hegseth, Matt Gaetz, Elise Stefanik, Howard Lutnick and Lee Zeldin.
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House speaker Mike Johnson said he would host a meeting with Republican lawmakers and the two leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, to discuss government cuts next week.
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A lawsuit was dismissed against Fox News brought by Ray Epps, a Donald Trump supporter who became the subject of a rightwing conspiracy theory about the January 6 attack and sued the outlet for defamation.
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Democrats are criticizing Kamala Harris’s campaign for failing to critically analyze her loss and any missteps she made.
Mark Zuckerberg joined Donald Trump for a private meeting at Mar-a-Lago this afternoon, the New York Times reports. Although the Facebook founder did not back Trump, Zuckerberg called the president-elect in July after the first assassination attempt. Not long after, Zuckerberg called Trump’s response to the attempt on his life “badass” on a podcast.
Zuckerberg joined a host of tech leaders who reached out to Trump in the days leading up to the election.
Canada has begun considering retaliatory tariffs it may levy on certain items from the United States should Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, the Associated Press reports.
The senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Canada is preparing for every eventuality, but stressed no decision had been made.
The Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is holding an emergency meeting today with leaders of the nation’s provinces, who’ve called on Trudeau to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the US, as opposed to the current, trilateral US-Mexico-Canada agreement.
For her part, the Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her administration is also preparing a list of retaliatory tariffs “if the situation comes to that”.
Amid criticism of Donald Trump’s transition from top Democrats like senator Elizabeth Warren, Trump’s team submitted an ethics plan that does not appear to include provisions for the president-elect himself, CNN reports.
“There does not appear to be a provision addressing the requirement for the president-elect to address his conflicts of interest,” Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the Center for Presidential Transition at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, told CNN.
The president-elect raised eyes for potential conflicts of interest during his first term in matters regarding his businesses and brands, particularly his hotels. During his recent campaign, Trump capitalized on his brand by selling a line of watches, bibles, shoes and NFTs.
Trump’s transition team submitted the ethics plan as part of paperwork governing the presidential transition. Although agreements with the Biden White House and General Services Administration were due in September, Trump’s team only signed the White House agreement yesterday (and declined to sign an agreement with the GSA). Negotiations over transition paperwork with the Department of Justice are still ongoing.
The Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer announced that he is in contact with law enforcement about the bomb threats and swatting targeting several of Donald Trump’s political appointees.
“I’m in touch with law enforcement and closely monitoring the reports of bomb threats targeted at politicians. Violence has no place in our politics. Period. Law enforcement will work to keep everyone safe, and those responsible must be held fully accountable,” Schumer wrote in a social media post.
With results still coming in from this year’s House elections, Axios reports that “at least two dozen ambitious House members are already sizing up runs for higher office in 2026”. Those potential runs for office could disrupt the razor-thin margins in the House if candidates are absent campaigning.
Axios named a long list of Republicans and Democrats alike considering bids for the Senate or governorship, including congresswoman Nancy Mace and representative Michael McCaul.
With Iowa representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks and California representative-elect Derek Tran declared the winners of their respective races, the Associated Press has yet to declare a winner in only one remaining House race. Results are still too close to call in California’s 13th District, where Democrat Adam Gray is slightly ahead of Republican incumbent John Duarte.
As the Associated Press called California’s 45th district for Democrat Derek Tran, Republican incumbent Michelle Steel appeared to concede.
In a statement posted on social media, Steel did not use the word “concede” or name Tran but said her journey in Congress “is ending”.
“Everything is God’s will and, like all journeys, this one is ending for a new one to begin,” she said. “I owe a debt of gratitude to my supporters, my staff, my family, my daughters and especially my husband, Shawn, for standing by me through endless campaigns. To my volunteers, we would never have made it this far without your tireless efforts. And, to the voters, thank you.”
Derek Tran, who won his race for California’s 45th district today, flipped one of just three seats for Democrats this election.
The other two pick-ups for Democrats were elsewhere in California and Oregon.
Tran, an attorney and Army veteran, defeated two-term Republican Michelle Steel, largely by focusing on her record on abortion rights. Steel had twice co-sponsored a nationwide abortion ban, called the Life at Conception Act, but later withdrew her support from the bill.
Despite criticism from Donald Trump, who called Tran a “Radical Left Puppet of Communist China”, Tran was able to dodge such criticism as the son of war refugees from Vietnam. His district – which is anchored by Orange County – includes the nation’s largest Vietnamese community. Tran will be the district’s first Vietnamese American representative.
He said his win “is a testament to the spirit and resilience of our community. As the son of Vietnamese refugees, I understand firsthand the journey and sacrifices many families in our district have made for a better life.”
Democrat Derek Tran wins California’s 45th congressional district
Democrat Derek Tran has won election to the US House of Representatives in California’s 45th congressional district, beating incumbent Michelle Steel.
The AP has called the race for Tran after a weeks-long count. Republicans already control the US House, as well as the Senate, but picking up the seat is a big win for Democrats, who lost it to Steel in 2020.
Although Steel initially had a commanding lead, the race became neck and neck as election workers tallied more ballots.
Iowa representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican, has won reelection to the House of Representatives, the Associated Press announced after a recount. Miller-Meeks’ lead over her opponent, Democrat Christina Bohannan, was less than a percentage point. Although Miller-Meeks had declared victory, the AP had not called the race because the margin was close enough that it could prompt a recount – which Bohannan’s campaign called for on 14 November.
“This is a delaying tactic to thwart the will of the people,” the Miller-Meeks campaign said of the recount, adding that it wasted taxpayer dollars. “A recount won’t meaningfully change the outcome of this race as the congresswoman’s lead is mathematically impossible to overcome.”
Miller-Meeks’ victory gives Republicans 220 seats in the House to Democrats’ 214 (the AP has yet to call one remaining House race). It also marks the first time in three decades that Iowa will have an all-Republican congressional delegation.
A little-known Florida-based drones company said on Wednesday it had appointed Donald Trump Jr as an adviser – then saw its stock price surge.
The Guardian’s Martin Pengelly has more on the president-elect’s son:
“Don Jr joining our board of advisors provides us unique expertise we need as we bring drone component manufacturing back to America,” said Allan Evans, chief executive of Unusual Machines.
By mid-morning on the New York stock exchange, company shares had climbed as high as $11.67, more than double the day’s opening price.
Unusual Machines also said Trump Jr, the oldest son of the president-elect, was among its investors. A filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission listed Trump Jr as the second-biggest shareholder.
In a press release that described Trump Jr as “a globally recognized business leader” and “best-selling author”, Evans said he would “bring a wealth of experience”.
Trump, typically referred to as Don Jr, has spent most of his adult life working for his father’s company, the Trump Organization, on real estate and branding. But he has risen to political prominence since his sister Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, distanced themselves from Donald Trump following his defeat by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and incitement of the January 6 attack on Congress by Trump supporters who tried in vain to overturn his loss.
The day so far …
A host of Trump appointees experienced bomb threats today. To recap the day:
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Several Trump appointees were confirmed to have been targets of bomb threats at their homes on Wednesday. The FBI confirmed it is investigating the threats. Those targeted include: Pete Hegseth, Matt Gaetz, Elise Stefanik, Howard Lutnick and Lee Zeldin.
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Trump named some new people to round out his second administration. He added Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health; Jim O’Neill as deputy health secretary; John Phelan as Navy secretary and Keith Kellogg as a special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
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House speaker Mike Johnson said he would host a meeting with Republican lawmakers and the two leaders of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, to discuss government cuts next week.
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A lawsuit was dismissed against Fox News brought by Ray Epps, a Donald Trump supporter who became the subject of a rightwing conspiracy theory about the January 6 attack and sued the outlet for defamation.
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Democrats are criticizing Kamala Harris’s campaign for failing to critically analyze her loss and any missteps she made.
Harris criticized for campaign ‘patting each other on the back’ despite loss
Democrats are criticizing Kamala Harris and her campaign for not critically analyzing her run or acknowledging any errors that could have contributed to her loss.
Harris participated in a video call to thank donors, clips of which spread around the internet, with one Democratic National Committee official calling the call essentially “just patting each other on the back”, despite Harris’s loss.
Separately, Pod Save America released an episode yesterday with several Harris campaign officials which has received pushback for failing to hold the campaign to account for its decisions and saw the aides defensive rather than reflective of any mistakes.
For more on how some Democrats are reacting to the Harris post-mortems, the Guardian’s Robert Tait has the full story:
