WASHINGTON – Republicans had renewed control of the House within their grasp early today as the two parties traded gains from the Eastern seaboard to the Southwest.

Shortly past midnight in the East, Democrats had knocked off nine GOP House members – including six members of the huge tea party-backed House GOP freshman class of 2010. That included four Republican incumbents from Illinois and one each from Maryland, Florida, New York, New Hampshire and Texas.

Republicans nearly matched that as their candidates defeated one Democratic incumbent apiece in Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania and picked up an open seat each in Arkansas, Indiana, North Carolina, and Oklahoma held in this Congress by Democrats who retired or ran for another office.