House GOP Picks up Democrat Seats

US President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks at the 2020 Council for National Poli
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images
Neil Munro

The GOP picked up a number of House seats and fended off many challengers from Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s Democrats during the overnight counting.

The final results will not be known until the states count their mail-in votes and wrap up their extended vote-counting processes.

In Florida, Carlos Gimenez beat Democrat Rep. Debbie Mucarsel Powell, and Maria Elvira Salazar defeated Democrat Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla., in Miami-Dade.

In New York’s 11th district, Republican Nicole Malliotakis claimed a win over Democratic Rep. Max Rose.

In Pennsylvania, Republican Jim Bognet was slightly ahead of Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright at 1.am.

In New Mexico’s second district, Yvette Herrell beat Democrat incumbent Rep. Xochitl Torres Small.

In South Carolina’s 1st district, Nancy Mace beat Democrat incumbent Joe Cunningham.

In Minnesota’s 7th district, Michelle Fischbach beat incumbent Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson.

In Oklahoma, GOP candidate Stephanie Bice won the 5th district seat from Democrat Rep. Kendra Horn.

In Virginia, GOP Del. Nick Freitas was ahead of Democratic Rep. Abigail Spannberger.

Many GOP seats passed from retiring legislators to new faces.

In Virginia, Republican Bob Good won the fifth district after earlier defeating GOP incumbent Rep. Denver Riggleman.

 The GOP caucus will also be aided by the addition of newcomers Byron Donalds in Florida, Madison Cawthorn in North Carolina, and Ronny Jackson, who was Trump’s White House doctor and is now replacing retiring GOP Rep. Mac Thornberry.
In Texas, GOP candidate Tony Gonzales kept the 23rd district after the retirement of GOP Rep. Will Hurd, and Troy Nehls held onto a GOP seat by beating Democrat Preston Kulkarni.
In Indiana, Victoria Spartz was likely to keep the seat vacated by retiring GOP Rep. Susan Brooks.
In Georgia, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene won the race for the 14th district, keeping it in the GOP column after the departure of Rep. Tom Graves.
Before the ballot, many D.C. politicians and activists expected the Democrats to gain five to 15 seats.

The Democratic campaign was powered by a wave of online donations and by a shortfall in GOP donations and candidates, which left several seats open to Democratic pickups. Politico reported October 26:

In the most competitive 94 districts, Democrats have booked over $177 million in ads since Sept. 1, while their GOP opponents have booked $93 million, according to a POLITICO analysis of advertising data. Republican outside groups have partly made up the difference, but the party is still bracing for a string of defeats next month.

“At this point, it’s pretty clear there’s going to be losses. The question is just how many, and if Republicans can keep it in the mid to high single digits,” said Ken Spain, a GOP strategist and former communications director for House Republicans’ campaign arm. “The money and the momentum is so significantly one-sided.”

 

 

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