More than a dozen House races have yet to be called but GOP majority remains secure

Republicans have picked up 63 seats in the House and that number is likely to grow as several contests remain too close to call early Wednesday, while others may be headed for recounts.

It looks like Virginia may once again have the closest congressional race in the nation, with Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) leading his Republican challenger Keith Fimian by less than 500 votes with 98 percent of precincts reporting. 

{mosads}That race appears headed for a recount, just as Virginia’s 5th district contest ended in 2008. Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) came out on top two years ago by just over 700 votes in what was that cycle’s closest House race. The contest wasn’t decided until mid-December. Perriello lost his bid for reelection Tuesday.

In Illinois, Rep. Melissa Bean (D) trails her Republican challenger by 797 votes with 98 percent of precincts in. Republican Joe Walsh is clinging to that slim margin in a race that was in the “likely Democratic” column ahead of Election Day.

Other House races that could drag on include Rep. Dan Maffei’s (D-N.Y.) reelection bid against Republican Ann Marie Buerkle. With 95 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday morning, Maffei led Buerkle by just 2,196 votes.

In Georgia, Rep. Sanford Bishop (D) leads GOP challenger Mike Keown by close to 5,000 votes, but his race has yet to be called. Democratic Rep. Gary Peters is in a similar spot in Michigan, leading by just over 4,500 votes against Republican Rocky Raczkowski.

In Kentucky, less than 1,000 votes separate incumbent Rep. Ben Chandler (D) and Republican Andy Barr in a race likely to see a recount. There’s a similar situation in Texas, where less than 1,000 votes separate incumbent Solomon Ortiz (D) and Republican challenger Blake Farenthold.

In Arizona, two Democratic incumbents have leads of less than 3,200 votes over their GOP challengers with the vast majority of precincts reporting results.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), a late target of national Republicans and the chairman of the House Progressive Caucus, is locked in a tight battle with Republican challenger Ruth McClung. Grijalva leads with 48 percent of the vote to McClung’s 46 percent, but just over 3,000 separate the two.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) is in a similar spot against Republican Jesse Kelly, whom she leads by less than 2,500 votes.

And in California, two House contests had yet to be called early Wednesday morning. Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) trails his Republican challenger, David Harmer, by less than 2,000 votes. In California’s 20th congressional district, just 20 votes separate Rep. Jim Costa (D) and Republican Andy Vidak, but only about 50 percent of precincts have reported in that contest.

Results have been slow coming out of Washington state, where two Democratic lawmakers —five-term Rep. Rick Larsen and nine-term Rep. Adam Smith — are waiting to hear their political fates.