Slow Counts Leaves House Balance Hanging, Dems Pickup at Least Four Senate Seats

[babylonsister]

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002982867

Updated Nov. 4, 2008 – 9:24 p.m.
Slow Counts Leaves House Balance Hanging, Dems Pickup at Least Four Senate Seats
By Bob Benenson, CQ Staff


Democratic gains in the Senate are becoming clear with vote counts and national media projections showing four pickups so far: in Virginia (Mark Warner), New Hampshire (Jeanne Shaheen), New Mexico ( Tom Udall ) and North Carolina (Kay Hagan). But slow vote counts in the states have left the dimensions of the Democrats’ predicted gains in the U.S. House unclear.

Only one House race appears to be a clear Democratic pickup, with ex-state Rep. Suzanne Kosmas holding a big lead over Florida Republican Rep. Tom Feeney in the Orlando-area 24th District. Feeney was badly hindered by publicity about his past golf trip to Scotland that was financed by since-convicted influence peddler Jack Abramoff.

Another likely pickup, according to late returns, is in the nearby 8th District, where Democratic lawyer Alan Grayson leads Republican Rep. Ric Keller .

Florida also is the site, though, of a rare likely Republican House pickup, in the 16th District, where Republican lawyer Tom Rooney has the benefit of running against a Democratic incumbent, freshman Tim Mahoney , who just a month before the election had to admit to extramarital affairs.

Early returns show Connecticut Republican Christopher Shays and North Carolina Rep. Robin Hayes trailing, and Virginia Republican Virgil H. Goode Jr. in a virtually tied contest.