Control of the House: Democrats Get 2 Early Flips

GOP in danger of losing the chamber
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 6, 2018 5:37 PM CST
Updated Nov 6, 2018 9:04 PM CST
Control of the House: Dems Look for 23 Flips
Democrat Donna Shalala will be a congresswoman.   (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Democrats were off to a good start in their quest to take control of the House. They flipped two early seats, one in Virginia and another in Florida (by Donna Shalala), and Politico sees them as being on track toward getting the necessary minimum of 23 flips. In fact, Fox News already has projected that Democrats will indeed take control. However, a big "blue wave" that could lead to bigger gains did not seem to be materializing.

  • Early pickup: Democrats flipped at least one seat in Virginia, where state Sen. Jennifer Wexton defeated two-term Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock in the 10th District, reports NBC News.
  • Donna Shalala: A familiar Democratic name, that of the 77-year-old Shalala, won her race in Florida to fill the seat of retiring Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, reports NBC News.
  • No flip here: In another closely watched race, GOP incumbent Andy Barr fended off a challenge from Democrat Amy McGrath in Kentucky, reports Kentucky.com.
  • Or here: In Virginia, the GOP's Denver Riggleman defeated Democrat Leslie Cockburn for a seat being vacated by a Republican, per the Washington Post.
  • Democrat loses rematch. GOP candidate Troy Balderson defeated Danny O'Connor in Ohio to win a full term. He also beat O'Connor in an August special election.
  • Brat beaten. In Virginia, former covert CIA officer Amy Spanberger defeated Republican Rep. Dave Brat, who made waves in 2014 when he defeated then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the GOP primary, the Wall Street Journal reports.
  • Major upset in Oklahoma. In one of the night's biggest upsets, Democrat Kendra Horn defeated GOP incumbent Rep. Steve Russell, turning Oklahoma's 5th District blue for the first time since the 1970s, the Hill reports.
(More 2018 midterms stories.)

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