Nov. 4, 2014

WASHINGTON--Republicans expanded their control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the midterm election, as voters' frustrations with the White House ousted a slew of Democratic incumbents in a night that turned the reins of Congress to the GOP.

Republicans will easily maintain their House majority, the Associated Press said, with late results only determining its final size. The GOP had seized 11 Democratic districts, as of early Wednesday morning, and could gain more as tight races in Arizona and California are later decided.

Longtime Democratic strongholds toppled in states where President Barack Obama had been unpopular, with Republican challengers ousting 19-term Democratic Reps. Nick Rahall in West Virginia and John Barrow in Georgia, where the last remaining white Democrat in the Deep South had held his seat for a decade.

"We are humbled by the responsibility the American people have placed with us, but this is not a time for celebration," House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said in a written statement after Republicans won control of the Senate, giving the GOP a majority in both chambers of Congress. "It's time for government to start getting results and implementing solutions to the challenges facing our country, starting with our still-struggling economy."

Democrats forced to defend vulnerable lawmakers in a hostile political environment lost a string of incumbents, despite a strategy that prioritized their protection. Republicans defeated several other vulnerable Democratic incumbents, including Reps. Brad Schneider and Bill Enyart in Illinois, Tim Bishop and Dan Maffei in New York, Joe Garcia in Florida and Carol Shea-Porter in New Hampshire, as well as capturing the open seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Rep. Bill Owens in New York and Rep. Bruce Braley, who lost a Senate bid in Iowa. The GOP was also on track to beat Democratic Rep. Pete Gallego in Texas.

In Utah, Republican former Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love took back the seat from retiring Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson, defeating Democratic attorney Doug Owens. Ms. Love becomes the first Republican African-American woman in the House.

Democrats made more modest encroachments into GOP territory. In Florida, Democrat Gwen Graham, the daughter of former governor and senator Bob Graham, beat incumbent GOP Rep. Steve Southerland, and in Nebraska, GOP Rep. Lee Terry was losing.

But Democrats weren't able to flip open seats they had targeted in districts previously held by Republicans in West Virginia and Arkansas.

Despite House Democrats' prolific fundraising, voters' disenchantment with the White House and anxiety over unsettling world events, including the Ebola outbreak and the Islamic State threat, fueled GOP gains.

"This is one of those times where the atmospherics are in our favor," said Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.). "We have to show that we're competent and can govern."

The GOP gains pushed the size of their majority closer to its highest level in decades. If Republicans were to win eight additional House seats in the 435-member chamber, they would erase the gains Democrats made two years ago. A pickup of 12 seats would match the Republican Party's post-World War II record of 246 seats set in 1947. Even bigger gains could increase the majority to its largest size since the late 1920s.

The GOP currently holds 233 seats, in addition to the seat vacated by former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.).

Tuesday night's election could also increase diversity in the House Republican conference, which has remained more solidly white and male even as House Democrats have become a more diverse mix.

If elected, GOP challengers Ms. Love in Utah and Will Hurd in Texas would be the chamber's only African-American Republicans. GOP candidates also include women and two openly gay challengers in California and Massachusetts.

Republican state Sen. Lee Zeldin, who beat Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop in New York, will become the only Jewish House Republican, following Mr. Cantor's departure after his primary loss.

"This class has the ability to do a great deal to help reshape the Republican Party," said Dan Conston, spokesman for Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC.

However, the election overall is expected to widen the demographic gap between the two parties in the House. After the midterm, 87% of House Republicans are expected to be white men, compared with just 44% of House Democrats, the widest gap ever, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

An expansion alone of the House GOP ranks won't make Mr. Boehner's job any easier.

The regular rebellions House GOP leaders have faced from the party's right flank, often hamstringing their ability to pass legislation, are unlikely to abate. The midterm is expected to bolster the GOP ranks with both pragmatic Republicans and unyielding conservatives alike.

The party's internal divisions are likely to further deepen with Republicans also gaining control of the Senate, increasing pressure on the GOP to show it can govern responsibly as it also tries to please a base of voters eager to see policy pulled to the right.

"Overall, a bigger Republican majority is good news for John Boehner, but the House could be even more difficult to navigate," said David Wasserman, a specialist in House politics at the Cook Political Report.

The composition of the House Republican conference will also change because of the 28 open seats where House GOP lawmakers decided to retire, ran for other offices or lost their primaries.

The departing group is a mixture of conservative firebrands and those willing to toe the party line. Their successors will be a blend of Republicans willing to work with leaders and those expected to take a more confrontational approach.

Republican aides said House leaders will contend with fundamentally the same challenges rounding up enough votes to pass contentious bills with a majority of Republican support, given the dozens of GOP lawmakers who periodically revolt.

In some districts, the incoming Republican lawmaker will tack to the right of his predecessor. For instance, retiring Rep. Spencer Bachus (R., Ala.) supported a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants living in the U.S. But his successor, Republican Gary Palmer, in a recent interview said "granting amnesty is not the way to go." He cited the Ebola outbreak, suggesting those infected with the disease might try to come to the U.S. "With the Ebola situation, it's become very apparent to us we need to secure our borders," he said.

Democrats predicted the incoming class of Republicans would push the House GOP further to the right.

"They will view 2014 as a vindication of their strategy to shut down the federal government and obstruct the president on every single initiative, " said Rep. Steve Israel (D., N.Y.), chair of the House Democrats' campaign arm.

Still, some positions taken during competitive GOP primaries might soften as new lawmakers acclimate to Washington.

Mr. Palmer said if he wins he plans to uphold a campaign promise to oppose Mr. Boehner's re-election as House speaker when Republicans vote during their internal selection process, but would vote for Mr. Boehner later on the House floor.

Voicing support for Mr. Boehner would have knocked him out of contention during the GOP primary, Mr. Palmer said. "I couldn't allow anyone to run to the right of me," he said. Once elected, he intends to work with GOP leaders.

"We have a window of opportunity," Mr. Palmer said. "I don't want to squander that with internal squabbles."

In other congressional districts, one conservative Republican simply succeeds another.

In Georgia, GOP Rep. Paul Broun, who opposed the House Republican budget for not doing enough to curb federal spending, will be succeeded by Republican Jody Hice, a Baptist pastor and conservative talk-radio host. Mr. Hice won't vote to raise the federal government's borrowing limit, according to his website.

Write to Kristina Peterson at kristina.peterson@wsj.com

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