House Republicans suffered only minimal losses on Tuesday, even though they were expected to see a dramatic drop in the 28-seat cushion they have above the 218 seats needed to maintain control.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Republicans had locked in 238 seats to Democrats’ 193. Four races have yet to be called.
The GOP currently hold 246 seats.
The results are a huge victory for Republicans in light of the expectation that the GOP might be at risk of losing the House just a few weeks ago. It keeps a sizable majority in the GOP’s hands that the party will likely use next year to push for votes to repeal Obamacare, implement tax reform, and other goals.
The GOP had similar good news in the Senate, where they gave up only one seat, even though Republicans were widely expected to lose that chamber to the Democrats.
Republicans gave up just two seats. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D, defeated Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., appears to have lost her race to Gov. Maggie Hassan, although she had not conceded the race.
Another incumbent in a race that was too close to call on Election Day was deemed the loser Wednesday. Republican Rep. Frank Guinta lost to his nemesis, former Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, in New Hampshire’s 1st District.
The duo has played “Game of Thrones” with this Granite State seat since 2006. In that wave election year, Shea-Porter — who was not even national Democrats’ preferred candidate — upset long-time GOP Rep. Jeb Bradley. She held it in 2008, when President Obama’s coattails secured Democrats the White House and full control of Congress, but lost to Guinta in 2010. The seat seesawed between them the next two cycles and now Shea-Porter leads the series 3-2.
