Election season isn’t finished quite yet. As of today, there remain seven House races that are still in dispute, one impending gubernatorial recount, and one messy Senate write-in fight.
So far, the partisan makeup of the new House is 238 Republicans versus 190 Democrats, with seven seats still up for grabs. All seven of the House seats that remain in question are held by Democrats; five of the contests are currently led by Republican challengers. The uncalled districts are:
- California’s 11th Congressional District: While Democrat Rep. Jerry McNerney has declared victory, Republican challenger David Harmer has yet to concede. Harmer finds himself trailing by about 1,800 votes, but according to The Stockton Record, 8,800 provisional ballots remain to be counted in San Joaquin County. Considering votes counted through today, the Republican leads this county by more than four percentage points.
- California’s 20th Congressional District: Though incumbent Rep. Jim Costa has seen his lead on Republican Andy Vidak shrink over the past week, the latest vote-count update has proven favorable for the Democrat– he now leads the contest by 1,428 votes. Costa declared victory last Wednesday, but there still remains upwards of 19,500 absentee and provisional ballots that have yet to be counted.
- Illinois’s 8th District: Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean trails Republican Joe Walsh by an estimated 347 votes, with about 1,500 ballots still to be counted. Bean, who helped pen a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling for an extension of all the Bush tax cuts back in September, has yet to concede. The Northwest Herald reports the race is expected to be officially called later this afternoon.
- New York’s 1st Congressional District: Incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop, who had the support of some big-name Democrats throughout his campaign, is narrowly trailing Republican Randy Altschuler. Bishop had a 3,400-vote lead on election night and was declared the contest’s winner, but after adjusting for a miscount, Altschuler was found leading by about 400 votes. While the Democrat is expected to seek a hand recount of all 185,000 ballots cast, Altschuler is attending orientation for newly elected Congressional members.
- New York’s 25th Congressional District: Democrat Dan Maffei finds himself behind Tea Party-supported Ann Marie Buerkle by an estimated 729 votes. With several thousand absentee ballots remaining to be counted, both candidates showed up for work at the Capitol this week.
- North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District: Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge seems to be all but finished in this contest– he trails Tea Partier Renee Ellmers by about 1,400 votes. Though Ellmers has indicated that she is ready to take office, Etheridge is in the midst of pursuing a recount allowed under state law. The incumbent Democrat made headlines earlier in the year, following a physical altercation with college-age men, who turned out to be backed by national Republicans.
- Texas’s 27th Congressional District: Democratic Rep. Solomon Ortiz has successfully requested a recount, as initial ballot counting found him trailing Republican challenger Blake Farenthold by 797 votes. While Ortiz is known for having held the district’s Congressional seat for 27 years, Farenthold earned more recent fame, as pictures of him, scantily clad women, and his duckie pajamas surfaced this fall. The recount’s date has yet to be determined.
In Minnesota, Democratic former Sen. Mark Dayton currently leads Republican state Rep. Tom Emmer by just under 9,000 votes, but a recount is planned. The Alaska Senate race is also still undecided, as Republican Joe Miller continues to contest the results of Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s write-in effort.
