Democrats on track to maintain House majority; Republicans gaining ground

Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Democrats saw their House majority shrink as Republicans flipped multiple seats in the chamber as of Wednesday evening.

Democrats entered election night with a 232-198 majority in the House with seven open seats up for grabs. Republicans needed a net gain of 17 seats to flip the chamber to their control.

Republicans were able to flip at least seven seats, while Democrats flipped two based on tallies by The Washington Post, The New York Times, Fox News and USA Today.

In some of the earliest results from Tuesday night, Republicans gained ground as Maria Elvira Salazar defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala in Florida's 27th District and 25-year-old Madison Cawthorn claimed the seat in North Carolina's 11th District left open by White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Also, in Florida's 26th District, former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giminez ousted Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who had flipped the seat to the Democratic Party in 2018. Gimenez claimed 51% of the vote to Mucarsel-Powell's 48%, with 95% of the vote tallied.

Republican Nancy Mace also reversed a seat flipped in South Carolina's 1st District, defeating Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham, who won the seat in 2018, earning 51% of the vote to Cunningham's 48% with more than 98% of votes counted.

Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small lost her seat to Republican Yvette Herrell who won 53% of the vote to Torres Small's 46% with 96% of votes tallied.

In Oklahoma's 5th District, Stephanie Bice earned 52.1% of the vote to defeat Democratic Rep. Kendra Horn, who received 47.9%, with at least 95% of votes counted.

Abby Finkenauer, the Democrat representing Iowa's 1st District, was unseated by Republican Ashley Hinson who claimed 51% of the vote to Finkenauer's 48% with at least 91% of votes counted.

Republican Michelle Fischbach garnered 53% of the vote compared to Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson's 40% to claim the seat in Minnesota's 7th District with about 89% of the ballots recorded.

Tony Gonzales, a Republican, also defeated Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones to fill the empty seat in Texas' 23rd District, where Republican Rep. Will Hurd chose not to run for re-election this year. Gonzalez received 50% of the vote while Jones captured 46% with at least 97% of ballots counted.

Meanwhile, Democrat Deborah Ross flipped North Carolina's 2nd District, defeating Republican Alan Swain to claim the seat vacated by retired Republican Rep. George Holding and Kathy Manning won 62% of the vote in the race for North Carolina's 6th District against Lee Haywood's 37% to claim the seat for Democrats with at least 90% of the votes counted.