WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican Andy Barr of Kentucky has become the first challenger of the 2012 House elections to unseat an incumbent.
Barr defeated Democratic Rep. Ben Chandler, who is serving his fourth term representing the district centered in Kentucky horse country around Lexington.
Barr was leading by almost 4 percentage points with 99 percent of the precincts counted. This was his second try. He barely lost in 2010 in a race against Chandler.
Early returns saw more than six dozen incumbents winning another term, despite deep dissatisfaction with Congress in public opinion polls.
Of the 435 House seats, only around 60 are considered to be competitive
Democrats need to gain 25 additional seats to take the majority, but are not expected to hit that target.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)