House1102Check back here throughout the evening for updates on key House races. And see WORLD’s interactive national map for up-to-the-minute election returns for all U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, and ballot initiative contests.

7:30 a.m.: One of the biggest upsets of the night: Rep. Jim Oberstar – 18 terms in office, the chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee – has lost to Republican Chip Cravaack. Polls didn’t show that race to even be competitive until the last week of the campaign – when it was too late for Oberstar.

2:55 a.m.: Republicans are up to 58 seats. State legislatures (Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina…) are flipping Republican too, which will influence elections down the road because those assemblies will have a hand in redistricting next year.

12:55 a.m.: The wave is building. The House GOP has netted 53 seats so far, and in surprising places, like N.Y.’s 13th, where Republican Mike Grimm defeated Democratic Rep. Mike McMahon, who won his last race in 2008 by about 30 points.

11:55 p.m.: The presumptive next Speaker of the House John Boehner appears at the Republican election party in Washington to cheers of “Speaker! Speaker!” And, as he is known to do, he cries.

11:40 p.m.: Two high-ranking House Democrats have lost. Ike Skelton, a 34-year incumbent, heads the House Armed Service Committee, and is losing in Missouri. The chair of the Budget Committee – and a close confidant of Speaker Pelosi – John Spratt, has lost in South Carolina. Spratt, who has served for almost 30 years, may be the most powerful House Democrat to lose this cycle.

11:15 p.m.: A wave of results from toss-up races are coming in now. Ohio has gone mostly in favor of Republicans: Democrats Mary Jo Kilroy, John Boccieri, Zack Space, and Charlie Wilson have all lost. So by now Republicans have won almost 30 seats.

10:40 p.m.: Rep. Ahn “Joseph” Cao, who I wrote about as one of the only Republican incumbents expected to lose, is conceding to Democrat Cedric Richmond. Cao, who represented New Orleans, was Congress’ first Vietnamese-American.

10:15 p.m.: Pundits are saying that Democrats are losing regardless of their voting records – Glenn Nye, who bucked his party often, is an example. But Democrat Heath Shuler in N.C. certainly won reelection because of his rebellious votes, like his “no” on healthcare.

10:00 p.m.: An early look at the Republican freshman class: a doctor (Scott Desjarlais), a surgeon (Larry Bucshon), a funeral home owner (Steve Southerland), a car dealership owner (Scott Rigell), and a farmer (Stephen Fincher).

9:45 p.m.: Another upset: Democrat Lincoln Davis loses in Tennessee’s 4th to Republican Scott Desjarlais, a doctor we wrote about earlier this season.

9:15 p.m.: Fox News and CNN project that Republicans will gain control of the House.

8:50 p.m.: Virginia’s turning bright red. Another surprise: Democrat Tom Perriello, whom President Obama campaigned for Friday, loses to Republican Robert Hurt in Virginia’s 5th. In the 11th district Democrat Gerry Connolly is behind right now too – Obama won big in his district in 2008.

8:30 p.m.: One of the first surprises of the evening: Democrat Rick Boucher loses to Republican Morgan Griffith in Virginia’s 9th. Polls had Boucher slightly ahead. Boucher, who represents coal country, voted for cap-and-trade.

8:20 p.m.: If you want more real-time tidbits, follow WORLD on Twitter. I’m on the Twitter train too.

8:00 p.m.: Republican state senator Marlin Stutzman wins Indiana’s 3rd, according to AP. He ran to fill the seat that Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., vacated when he resigned in the wake of an affair.

7:25 p.m.: Not that it makes much difference now – but over the weekend the Family Research Council went after Rep. Ahn “Joseph” Cao (who I recently profiled), saying in an ad that Cao supported “protections for homosexuals at the cost of religious liberty.” Cao did support a repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell – but he is also pro-life and voted against the final healthcare bill for that reason. His opponent, state representative Cedric Richmond, is likely to win tonight – and he supports a repeal of DADT and is pro-abortion. Was FRC right to go after Cao with an attack ad, or should they have supported a candidate who is in line with them on some issues, if not all?

7:00 p.m.: AP calls first three House races – Hal Rogers in Kentucky, Mike Pence and Dan Burton in Indiana – all Republicans. These are safe GOP districts.