Midterm elections: 12 House races to watch to judge size of a GOP 'wave'

Most observers expect Republicans to take over the House of Representatives, but more than 100 races could go either way. The magic number Republicans need to gain to take control: 39. Here are a handful of races to keep an eye on in the states with early-closing polls.

4. Florida's 22nd

Alan Diaz/AP
Allen West (l.), Republican candidate for Florida's 22nd District, and incumbent Rep. Ron Klein (D) shake hands after a debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., on Oct. 12.

Another close race to watch in the 7 p.m. states, Florida’s 22nd District leans slightly Democratic, but incumbent Ron Klein (D) faces an uphill battle for reelection.

His votes in favor of health-care reform may hurt him in the eyes of retired voters, and some polls now predict that his Republican opponent, retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West, has the edge.

Mr. West narrowly lost to Congressman Klein in 2008, and this time around he has outperformed him in fundraising.

If Klein can hold on in this race – still considered a toss-up by most pollsters – it’s a good sign for Democrats, but if it’s one of many similarly close races that go to Republicans, it’s a strong indicator that the GOP is on track to take control of the House by a big margin.

Also keep an eye on Florida’s Eighth, 24th, and 25th districts, all of which are close but currently favor Republicans. The 25th is one of the few GOP-held seats that Democrats have a chance of picking up.

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