In the 2008 election, after 140 years of being out of power, the Tennessee GOP won a majority of house seats in the Tennessee State House of Representatives, taking 50 out of 99 districts. However, shortly after the new year when the 2009 legislative session began, Tennessee House Democrats worked behind the scenes to avoid a complete Republican takeover of the chamber. All 49 Democrats voted for Kent Williams, who was an independent minded Republican, and then Kent Williams voted for himself to become speaker of the Tennessee House. Williams then doled out committee assignments in the closely divided house on a 50/50 basis in an effort to ensure there would be bi-partisan cooperation on legislation.
Video of TN Democrats crafty maneuver in State House
The Tennessee State House of Representatives in 2009 isn’t the only example of such a bi-partisan coalition being created. In fact, there is currently a similar type of governing coalition in the Alaska State House of Representatives. Republicans have also done this type of thing in the New York State State Senate by picking off a handful of Democrats. This type of coalition building happens all the time in parliamentary governments like Canada and the U.K.
So with such a closely divided U.S. House, is there any chance of something like this happening in the event that the GOP retains control 218 to 217? Are there any moderate Republicans who would consider such a tactic? I can only imagine that some of the Republicans in districts that voted for Biden would at a minimum have a strong incentive to consider such overtures. Granted doing so might cost them in their next primary, but if as part of the deal they became Speaker of the House (assuming in this scenario a 218-217 GOP majority) it could also thrust them onto the national scene as an independent.
Obviously complete control of the House would be preferable. However, if holding the house solely with Democrats isn’t possible, a bi-partisan governing coalition that consisted of Democrats and a few (or may even a single) moderate Republican(s) would be preferable to having the House of Representatives taken hostage by members of the “freedom caucus” like Lauren Boebert (assuming she holds on & I hope she doesn’t), Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Paul Gosar. The governing coalition could be called the Democracy coalition.