2 GOP lawmakers take seats after special election wins
WASHINGTON — The Republican winner of the most expensive House race ever took her seat representing Atlanta’s outskirts Monday evening, along with a South Carolina Republican who claimed a narrower-than-expected victory to retain a strongly Republican seat.
The dual swearing-in ceremony returned Republicans to full strength in the chamber at 241 seats after the party won four special elections to replace GOP lawmakers who left the House to join President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
Karen Handel won the closely watched Georgia election by a 52-48 margin last week after a hard-fought, saturation-level campaign. Handel’s opponent, first-time candidate Jon Ossoff, raised $23 million for the race and narrowly led in most polls.
“This is an extraordinary honour and the greatest privilege that I think I have ever had,” Handel said in brief remarks after receiving the oath of office from Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. She vowed to be “a good co-worker and friend to each of you.”