Democrats, meanwhile, are hoping that the last votes trickling in in a handful of tight races will be enough to give them a majority in the House. A party needs 218 seats to take control. As it stands on Wednesday,

House Republicans have spent two years mired in a shambolic mess of their own making. The next two years are likely to offer more of the same.

The neck and neck battle for control of the House in the next Congress appears to be shifting in favor of Republicans as results roll in from the most competitive districts a day after voting ended. While the contest for the gavel remains too close to call officially — and dozens of races have