FACTBOX-Nine US House of Representatives races to watch in 2024

Derek Merrin, a state lawmaker who led a revolt after losing his bid for the speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, won the Republican nomination, Edison Research projected on Tuesday. ALABAMA'S SECOND DISTRICT Two Democratic candidates, former Justice Department official Shomari Figures and state House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, advanced to an April 16 runoff primary.

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives will be defending a narrow 219-213 majority in the Nov. 5 elections, with court-ordered redistricting putting some of their seats - including one in Alabama - at risk.

Below are some of the races to watch as the Republican and Democratic parties battle through 2024 for control of the chamber. KEVIN MCCARTHY'S SEAT STAYS OPEN LONGER

California state Assembly member Vince Fong, who had been an aide to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, failed to secure enough support on Tuesday to avoid a May 21 runoff election with Mike Boudreaux, a county sheriff and president of the California State Sheriffs' Association. That means that the seat, representing California's 20th congressional district, will remain vacant another two months -- a headache for McCarthy's successor, House Speaker Mike Johnson, as he leads a thin 219-213 majority.

Fong had collected endorsements from McCarthy and former President Donald Trump. BILL JOHNSON'S EXIT

Michael Rulli, a state senator, won the Republican nomination for the special and general elections to replace Representative Bill Johnson, Edison Research projected on Tuesday. Johnson had stepped down to head a university in Ohio, leaving voters in his district to choose Republican and Democratic candidates to hold the seat through the rest of the term and also to be on the ballot in the November general election.

Michael Kripchak, who worked in the entertainment industry before co-founding an electronic signal location tracking company, won the Democratic primaries for the special and general elections, Edison Research projected. The district is heavily Republican.

The special general election for the seat is on June 11. CHALLENGES AGAINST KAPTUR

Also in Ohio, Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat who was initially elected in 1982 and who is the longest-serving woman in the House, is a top target for Republicans, with five Republicans and an independent filing to take her on. Derek Merrin, a state lawmaker who led a revolt after losing his bid for the speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, won the Republican nomination, Edison Research projected on Tuesday.

ALABAMA'S SECOND DISTRICT Two Democratic candidates, former Justice Department official Shomari Figures and state House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, advanced to an April 16 runoff primary. Two Republicans, former state Senator Dick Brewbaker and first-time candidate Caroleene Dobson, were also headed to the April runoff. The district was created after a federal court ordered Alabama to implement a congressional map that created a second largely Black district. That decision is expected to give Democrats a rare opportunity to gain a seat in the conservative Southern state. Legal battles over redistricting could play a role in the congressional maps for as many as 10 states and potentially tip control of the House.

LAUREN BOEBERT'S SWAP Colorado Republican Ken Buck is leaving Congress at the end of the week, before his term is up. The move means that House Republicans' majority will narrow even further and the state will hold a June 25 special election to replace him for the rest of his term. The parties will both choose candidates to represent them in the special election, with Buck expected to play a role in that process. The special election will be held on the same day as the general election. Firebrand conservative Lauren Boebert, who won an unexpectedly narrow reelection bid in 2022 and who was facing a tough primary opponent in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, has said she would run in Buck's old district instead. Boebert, who would have needed to resign her seat to run for the special election, has said she would only run in the general election.

Aside from Boebert, the crowded Republican general primary also includes two former state senators, a radio host and the former Republican leader in the state's general assembly. The seat is not considered to be competitive for the Democrats in the general election.

RETURN OF SANTOS? Several of the districts Democrats are taking on in their bid to wrest control of the House of Representatives are currently represented by first-term Republican lawmakers. One of them is Nick LaLota, who represents a district made up of a number of suburbs of New York City.

A half-dozen Democrats have filed to take him on, including Nancy Goroff, a former chair of a university's chemistry department, and Jim Gaughran, a former state senator. George Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December after being indicted over corruption charges, has said he would run for the seat as well. "To raise the standard in Congress, and to hold a pathological liar who stole an election accountable, I led the charge to expel George Santos. If finishing the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in," LaLota wrote in a post on social media platform X.

New York's congressional primaries are on June 25. DEMOCRATS AIM AT SCHWEIKERT

In Arizona's 1st district, David Schweikert, who was elected in 2010, is considered to be one of Democrats' top targets as they seek to gain control of the House of Representatives. Schweikert narrowly won his reelection bid in 2022. A dozen candidates have filed to challenge Schweikert, including eight Democrats. Among them are Conor O'Callaghan, a first-time candidate who works in finance; Andrei Cherny, a former White House speechwriter and ex-chair of the Arizona Democratic Party; and Amish Shah, a doctor and state lawmaker.

Arizona's primary elections are on July 30. REPUBLICAN BID TO UNSEAT PEREZ

First-term Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state is seeking reelection, after initially edging out her opponent by 1 percentage point. Hoping to face off against Perez is Joe Kent, who was the lawmaker's opponent in 2022 and who was endorsed by the state Republican party in August. Kent, who had been endorsed by Trump, had challenged the results of the 2020 election and raised conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Also seeking the Republican nomination is Leslie Lewallen, a former prosecutor and member of a local city council. Washington's primaries will be held on Aug. 6.

CORI BUSH'S CHALLENGER Pro-Israel groups have sought challengers to the members of the progressive left-wing group of lawmakers known as "The Squad," but they have mostly been able to far outraise opponents who have failed to gain much traction.

The exception is Cori Bush, a former activist and city councilwoman, in Missouri. Her primary challenger, Wesley Bell, was a prosecutor and had initially announced a Senate run before shifting his sights onto her congressional seat. Though Bush has raised more money, Bell had more cash on hand at the end of the most recent cycle. Aside from Bush's criticism of Israel's handling of its war with Hamas, she has also faced scrutiny over her security spending.

The seat is considered a safe Democratic seat, with the person emerging from the Democratic primary likely to be elected in November. Missouri's primary election will be held on Aug. 6.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)