Sen. Tim Scott, walks to the podium after winning his Senate race over challengers Jill Bossi and Joyce Dickerson. (Associated Press)
Washington:
Republicans held a commanding edge in elections for the House of Representatives on Tuesday, capitalizing on dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama and national malaise to push their numbers toward the highest levels in 65 years.
The Republicans had won more than 150 seats as polls closed in the East and Midwest and were certain to surpass the 218 needed for a majority if incumbents prevailed as expected in the West.
Evan Jenkins, a Democrat-turned-Republican state senator in West Virginia, knocked out 19-term Rep. Nick Rahall, one of the last white Democrats in the South. Republican Rick Allen prevailed over another Southern Democrat, five-term Rep. John Barrow of Georgia.
Republicans won the seat of a retiring moderate Democrat in North Carolina and knocked out another Democrat in Florida. Challengers had the edge in two Democratic seats in Illinois, Obama's adopted state.
Another winner was Dave Brat, a professor who had a surprise upset of Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a June primary.
Some two dozen Democratic incumbents had been in jeopardy, but just a handful of Republicans faced competitive races. Republican victories in the last midterm elections in 2010, fueled by the rise of the ultra-conservative tea party, gave the party the advantage in redrawing congressional districts.
The president's party typically loses seats in midterm elections, but Obama's low approval ratings around 40 percent have been a drag on Democrats, along with public unease with the Islamic State group threat, the Ebola outbreak and a lackluster recovery from the 2008 recession. Promising economic signs of a drop in the unemployment rate and cheaper gasoline have failed to help.
The Republicans were likely to match the 246 House seats of 1947-1949 when another Democrat, Harry S. Truman, occupied the White House. Democrats still hold the modern-day edge for most seats - 292 - in 1979.
Republicans purposely lowered expectations at a gain of five to eight seats, but privately some said anything less than a net of a dozen seats would be a disappointment.
A solid Republican majority means Speaker John Boehner, who was on the ballot for a 13th term, can afford defections from his increasingly conservative caucus and still get legislation passed. Republicans are counting on partnering with a Republican-led Senate.
Boehner raised $102 million to ensure that Republicans would tighten their grip on the House.
Obama, whose party lost 63 seats in 2010, would become the two-term president with the most midterm defeats, surpassing Truman's 74.
All 435 House seats were on the ballot Tuesday, but the roster of competitive races was less than 10 percent of those.
The Republicans had won more than 150 seats as polls closed in the East and Midwest and were certain to surpass the 218 needed for a majority if incumbents prevailed as expected in the West.
Evan Jenkins, a Democrat-turned-Republican state senator in West Virginia, knocked out 19-term Rep. Nick Rahall, one of the last white Democrats in the South. Republican Rick Allen prevailed over another Southern Democrat, five-term Rep. John Barrow of Georgia.
Republicans won the seat of a retiring moderate Democrat in North Carolina and knocked out another Democrat in Florida. Challengers had the edge in two Democratic seats in Illinois, Obama's adopted state.
Another winner was Dave Brat, a professor who had a surprise upset of Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a June primary.
Some two dozen Democratic incumbents had been in jeopardy, but just a handful of Republicans faced competitive races. Republican victories in the last midterm elections in 2010, fueled by the rise of the ultra-conservative tea party, gave the party the advantage in redrawing congressional districts.
The president's party typically loses seats in midterm elections, but Obama's low approval ratings around 40 percent have been a drag on Democrats, along with public unease with the Islamic State group threat, the Ebola outbreak and a lackluster recovery from the 2008 recession. Promising economic signs of a drop in the unemployment rate and cheaper gasoline have failed to help.
The Republicans were likely to match the 246 House seats of 1947-1949 when another Democrat, Harry S. Truman, occupied the White House. Democrats still hold the modern-day edge for most seats - 292 - in 1979.
Republicans purposely lowered expectations at a gain of five to eight seats, but privately some said anything less than a net of a dozen seats would be a disappointment.
A solid Republican majority means Speaker John Boehner, who was on the ballot for a 13th term, can afford defections from his increasingly conservative caucus and still get legislation passed. Republicans are counting on partnering with a Republican-led Senate.
Boehner raised $102 million to ensure that Republicans would tighten their grip on the House.
Obama, whose party lost 63 seats in 2010, would become the two-term president with the most midterm defeats, surpassing Truman's 74.
All 435 House seats were on the ballot Tuesday, but the roster of competitive races was less than 10 percent of those.
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