Dem House majority swells to Obama-era levels as more GOP incumbents are wiped out

Democrats’ House majority swelled to at least 254 seats Thursday after the Associated Press called a Virginia district Republicans had held for nearly half a century.The AP had called 253 races for Democrats and 155 for Republicans as of Thursday afternoon, including confirming the loss of Reps.Mike Lawler (R-NY).

Additionally, Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) conceded his defeat though the AP hadn’t made it official yet.The last time Democrats held this big of a majority was after the 2008 election of President Obama when they notched 257 House seats.Democrats could surpass that level once the remaining 27 races are called.Among the weightiest of Thursday’s calls was Virginia’s 1st District, where Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor, a Democrat, unseated Rep.

Rob Wittman (R-Va.) out of the office he had held since 2007.Taylor proclaimed herself the winner Tuesday night.The AP made the determination shortly before noon Thursday.Rep.

Mike Turner (R-Ohio) — 12 terms in the House, a onetime mayor of Dayton and a former chairman of the Intelligence Committee — fell to Democrat Kristina Knickerbocker of Yellow Springs, who until this year had never voted in a partisan primary in Ohio.The AP called the race Thursday afternoon, with Knickerbocker ahead by roughly 4,900 votes.“I wish Kristina Knickerbocker every success,” Turner said in a statement.In Arizona’s 6th District, Rep.Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), who first won the seat in 2022, was denied a third term by JoAnna Mendoza, a Marine veteran making her first run for office.Mendoza took about 53% of the vote and would be the first female Marine elected to Congress, according to the veterans group VoteVets.Her election-night valediction was brief: “Step one, we’ve won, so goodbye Mr.

Ciscomani.”In North Carolina, three more Republican incumbents are now officially out of a job.Rep.Tim Moore (R-NC) — who spent a decade as speaker of the state House — lost the 14th District to Democr...