Republican wave bigger than 1994

Republicans have swept control of House seats across the country, handing them control of the lower chamber.

The GOP have won 63 Democratic-held seats while Democrats picked up three GOP seats, which gives the Republicans a net gain of 60 seats so far.

The wave is bigger than the massive gains Republicans made in 1994, when the party picked up 52 seats. And Democrats have lost power in the lower chamber after only four years in the majority.

{mosads}In one of the biggest loses for Democrats, House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (D-S.C.) lost in a tough relection bid. He was a heavy GOP target and criticized for his ties to the Speaker and his votes for cap-and-trade, the stimulus and healthcare reform.

Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), a 17-term incumbent, lost to Republican Vicky Hartzler.

Early Wednesday morning a third committee chairman lost his bid for releection. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), an 18-term incumbent and the chairman of the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, lost to Republican Chip
Cravaack.

In Mississippi, Blue Dog Rep. Gene Taylor (D), the Democrat who declared he voted for John McCain for president and wouldn’t support Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for speaker, lost. Republican Steven Palazzo will represent the district.

In Alabama, Rep. Bobby Bright (D), who was the first Dem to say he wouldn’t vote for Pelosi for speaker and also joked she might “get sick and die,” lost to Republican Martha Roby.

In Wisconsin, Republicans won retiring Rep. David Obey’s (D-Wis.) seat. Obey is the powerful chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Republican Sean Duffy, a former contestant on MTV’s “Real World,” will represent the district. Also, sophomore Rep. Steve Kagen (D) lost his reelection bid to Republican Reid Ribble.

In North Dakota, Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D) lost to Republican Rick Berg. Pomeroy was a top GOP target and each party spent over a $1 million to try to win this seat. And, in South Dakota, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) lost to Republican Kristi Noem. Herseth Sandlin, who voted against healthcare reform, became a top GOP target and Noem proved herself to be a prolific fundraiser.

In New Mexico, former Rep. Steve Pearce (R) won his seat back over from freshman Rep. Harry Teague (D).

In Pennsylvania, freshman Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D) lost to Republican Mike Kelly. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), who led the charge in the House to change the Pentagon’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, lost to former Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). And 13-term Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D) lost to Republican Lou Barletta. Barletta had challenged Kanjorski twice before and lost.

In Ohio, Rep. Zack Space (D) lost to Republican Bob Gibbs. Space infuriated unions when he voted against the healthcare bill. Union support was divided because of his vote. The AFL-CIO campaigned for him but the Service
Employees International Union told their members to not vote for him. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D) lost a tough reelection battle to Steve Stivers, who she beat last cycle. And freshman Rep. Steve Driehaus (D) lost to Republican Steve Chabot. Driehaus defeated Chabot in a close race last cycle. GOP leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) called Driehaus a “dead man” after Driehaus voted for healthcare reform.

In North Carolina, Rep. Bob Etheridge (D), who gained national attention after a video confrontation with two college students went viral, lost.

In Texas, 10-term Rep. Chet Edwards (D), a perennial GOP target, lost to Republican Bill Flores. Edwards was discussed as a vice presidential candidate in 2008. His district houses former President George W. Bush’s Crawford ranch. And six-term Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D) lost to Republican Francisco “Quico” Canseco. Rodriquez had been a GOP target for years and, in Canseco, the party had a well-funded Latino candidate for the Hispanic-heavy district.

In Idaho, freshman Rep. Walter Minnick (D-Idaho) lost.
Minnick represented one of the most Republican-leaning districts in the
country but had the conservative voting record to match: he voted
against cap-and-trade legislation, the stimulus and the healthcare
bill. But he fell to Republican Raul Labrador.

Other Democrats who have lost their reelection bid include Reps. Dina Titus (Nev.), John Salazar (Colo.), Harry Mitchell (Ariz.), Ann Kirkpatrick (Ariz.), Mike McMahon (N.Y.), Scott Murphy (N.Y.), Ron Klein (Fla.), Mark Schauer (Mich.), Betsy Markey (Colo.), John Hall (N.Y.), Michael Arcuri (N.Y.), John Adler (D-N.J.), Bill Foster (Ill.), Debbie Halvorson (Ill.), Phil Hare (D-Ill.), John Boccieri (Ohio), Frank Kratovil (Md.), Chris Carney (Pa.), Charlie Wilson (Ohio) and Travis Childers (Miss.).

Republicans also won former Rep. Eric Massa’s (D-N.Y.) seat. Massa resigned after allegations he acted inappropriately with his congressional staff.

In New Hampshire, Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), a two-term lawmaker, lost to Republican Frank Guinta. And former Rep. Charlie Bass (R) won his old seat over liberal favorite Ann Kuster. Bass lost his seat to Paul Hodes (D), who ran for Senate this cycle and lost.

Five-term Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.) was defeated by Republican Todd Young. Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.), who is in his fourth term, also lost.

Republicans also won retiring Reps. Bart Stupak’s (D-Mich.), Dennis Moore’s (D-Kan.), Marion Berry’s (D-Ark.), Vic Snyder’s (D-Ark.), and Brian Baird’s (Wash.) seats as well as Rep. Charlie Melancon’s (D-La.) seat. Melancon launched an unsuccessful bid for the Senate. They also won Rep. Joe Sestak’s (D-Pa.) seat. Sestak lost a Senate race Tuesday. 

The GOP took over ousted Rep. Alan Mollohan’s (D-W.V.) seat. Mollohan lost to Mike Oliverio in the May Democratic primary but Oliverio lost to Republican David McKinley on election night.

In Florida, seven-term Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) lost to Republican Steve Southerland. Boyd was a top GOP target this cycle. Sandy Adams defeated freshman Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.) and Republican Daniel Webster defeated freshman Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), who attracted national attention when he said on the House floor that Republicans want people to die quickly.

And in Virginia, Democratic Reps. Rick Boucher, Tom Perriello, and Glenn Nye lost. Boucher’s loss was a major setback for Democrats. He is serving his 14th term and is a subcommittee chairman on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

In Indiana, Republican Larry Bucshoon defeated Democrat Trent Van Haaften to win Rep. Brad Ellsworth’s (D-Ind.) seat. Ellsworth ran for the Senate and lost.

In Tennessee, four-term Rep. Lincoln Davis (D) lost to Republican Scott DesJarlias. And Republicans picked up retiring Rep. Bart Gordon’s (D-Tenn.) seat. Republican Diane Black defeated Democrat Brett Carter.  Republicans also won retiring Rep. John Tanner’s (D-Tenn.). Republican Stephen Fincher will now represent the district.

Not all the news is bad for Democrats. As expected, Democrat John Carney picked up Rep. Mike Castle’s seat (R-Del.) and Democrats also captured Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.). President Obama won Cao’s district in 2008 by a three-to-one margin over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Castle ran for the Senate but lost in the GOP primary to Christine O’Donnell.

And Democrats recaptured Hawaii’s first congressional district, which is Obama’s home district. Democrat Colleen Hanabusa defeated Rep. Charles Djou (R-Hawaii).
Djou took the seat in a special election after Rep. Neil Abercrombie
(D) resigned to run for governor.

Also, the AP withdrew its call in Georgia’s second congressional district. Earlier in the evening, the AP reported nine-term Rep.
Sanford Bishop (D) had lost to Republican
Mike Keown but, with additional votes counted, Bishop
holds a slim lead.



— Russell Berman, Michael O’Brien, Kevin Bogardus, Bob Cusack, Shane D’Aprile, and Mike Lillis contributed to this article.   

— This story was originally posted at 8:32 p.m. and last updated at 11:59 p.m. and 4:56 a.m.