GOP Wins House; Dems Keep Senate

The speaker’s gavel will soon belong to John Boehner: The GOP won control of the House on Tuesday night. By 1 a.m., the GOP had picked up 55 seats—more than the 54 it won in 1994—and when all the votes are counted, they’re expected to have won between 64 and 66 seats, according to Nate Silver. Republicans needed 39 seats to take control of the House. Notable defeats include losses by 14-term Democrat John Spratt and 17-term Rep. Ike Skelton. Meanwhile in the Senate, the GOP won at least six seats, which is fewer than the 10 needed to take control. That includes nail-biting victories for Republicans Pat Toomey and Mark Kirk in Pennsylvania and Illinois, respectively. However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hung on in Nevada, and Colorado Senator Michael Bennet also fended off Tea Party challenger Ken Buck.