GOP Looking Strong As Returns Slow

As Election Night became Election Morning at around 3:30 a.m. by our watches, 24 races were still out, 16 of them controlled by the Republican Party.

Democrats were up three seats, and would have to win all but one of the outstanding GOP races to take control of the House -- a mathematical possibility, but Newt Gingrich probably isn't losing any sleep over it.

Neither will Team House at AllPolitics. See you in the morning.

Several of those involved in unresolved races are most likely losing whatever sleep's left in this night, however:

Republican seats:

Connecticut's supposedly safe Nancy L. Johnson is trailing her Democratic challenger by more than 750 votes. The race had been called in Johnson's favor, but the call was later withdrawn.
Former GOP presidential candidate Robert K. Dornan of California trails by a few hundred votes with plenty left to be counted.
GOP Rep. Andrea Seastrand trails by more than 10,000 votes with three-quarters of the returns in.
Idaho Rep. Helen Chenoweth leads by about 6,700 votes with three-quarters of the vote counted.
In Washington state, Rep. Rick White is ahead, but Reps. Jack Metcalf, Linda Smith, and Randy Tate all trail slightly.

Democratic seats:

Calif. 24: Democrat Brad Sherman slightly trails Republican Rich Sybert with about 10 percent of the vote in.
Calif. 36: Rep. Jane Harman has a 1,500-vote lead over Republican Susan Brooks with 11 percent of the vote counted.
Calif. 42: Republican Linda M. Wilde and Democratic Rep. George Brown are trading the lead with almost 80 percent of the vote counted. Brown's up by 400 votes at the moment.
Hawaii 1: Rep. Neil Abercrombie has a slight lead on Republican Orson Swindle.
Ill. 20: Republican John Shimkus holds a slight lead on Democrat Jay Hoffman in this open seat.
Texas 25: Rep. Ken Bentsen looks to be headed for a runoff; he only picked up 35 percent of the vote. Republican Dolly Madison McKenna placed second, with 18 percent.
Utah 3: Rep. Bill Orton has about a 2,000-vote lead over Republican Christopher B. Cannon with almost 60 percent of the vote counted.