Dems pick up first GOP House seat of night

In one of the few potential House Democratic pickup opportunities Tuesday night, attorney Gwen Graham narrowly defeated Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.).

Graham won 51 percent to Southerland’s 49 percent, with 98 percent of precincts reporting, according to The Associated Press.

{mosads}Southerland proved to be one of the weakest GOP candidates of the cycle, stumbling frequently in his campaign against Graham, the daughter of former Democratic Sen. and Gov. Bob Graham.

The two-term incumbent came under fire for hosting a men-only fundraiser and comparing the event to women attending a “lingerie shower.”

Southerland’s vote against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act also didn’t help. While Southerland said he voted against the legislation because he felt blindsided by the “political” scheduling of the vote, his explanation fell flat amid Democrats’ charges of sexism.

Graham managed to pull ahead by presenting herself as a centrist, such as by indicating that she wouldn’t support House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to head her party.

Still, Southerland’s defeat is likely to be an anomaly in an otherwise positive night for House Republicans. The GOP needs to gain 11 seats in order to reach its goal of expanding itsHouse majority to 245 members.

Hitting 245 would mean the largest GOP House majority since the 1940s.