was seeking his 11th full term . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-California , said Tuesday night she was confident Democrats would ride a `` wave '' of pro-Democratic sentiment across the country and add to their House majority , though she declined to predict by how much . Watch Pelosi say Americans voted for change `` We have surfers to ride that wave , '' Pelosi said at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington , where she was watching election results . Here are highlights of other races with projected winners : • Democrats gained at least two seats in Ohio , including that of Rep. Steve Chabot , who was seeking an eighth term in a Cincinnati-area district that normally votes about evenly for GOP and Democratic presidential candidates . CNN projects that Chabot lost to Democrat Steve Driehaus . Just two years earlier , Chabot was re-elected with 52 percent of the vote despite an anti-Republican tide that helped Democrats capture Ohio 's governorship and take a U.S. Senate seat . Democrats also gained a seat left open by retiring Rep. Ralph Regula . Democrat John Boccieri defeated the GOP 's Kirk Schuring in the northeastern
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Democrats increased their 36-seat majority in the U.S. House , according to CNN projections , by defeating established Republicans and winning open seats as they capitalized on an unpopular GOP president . Rep. Chris Shays , R-Connecticut , failed to win his 11th full term . Democrats clinched a majority and took at least 21 seats from Republicans , with the GOP taking only four from the Democrats , according to CNN projections as of 4 a.m. ET Wednesday . With winners yet to be called for 11 of the House 's 435 seats , Democrats were projected to win 251 seats , with Republicans having 173 . Heading into Election Day , the Democrats had a 235-199 majority . The Democrats ' apparent gains Tuesday come two years after they took control of the House -- with a gain of 30 seats -- after 12 years in the minority . Among Tuesday 's GOP casualties was longtime Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut , whose reputation for occasionally bucking his party could n't keep him from losing to Democrat Jim Himes . Shays ' defeat leaves New England without any Republicans in the House . Shays