Since the last blog …

Republicans apparently made their first pickup of the night as Rep. Jean Preston beats appointed incumbent Pete Bland in District 2 (58-42). The Associated Press has not called it, but all precincts have reported.

District 6: Incumbent Republican Harry Brown is declared the winner

District 7: Incumbent Democrat Doug Berger leads 59-41 (78 percent of precincts)

District 8: Incumbent Democrat R.C. Soles leads 52-48 (95 percent of precincts)

District 12: Incumbent Republican Fred Smith is declared the winner

District 24: Democratic challenger Tony Foriest appears to have beaten GOP incumbent Hugh Webster 50.69 to 49.31. The 358-vote margin is critical because provisional ballots could throw this race into a recount. As it stands now, Foriest’s victory margin is stoo large for Webster to request the recount.

District 34: Incumbent Republican Andrew Brock is declared the winner

District 40: Incumbent Democrat Malcolm Graham is declared the winner

District 46: Incumbent Democrat Walter Dalton is declared the winner

District 47: Democratic challenger Joe Sam Queen leads GOP incumbent Keith Presnell 50.40-49.60 (394 votes) with 91 percent of precincts reporting

District 49: Incumbent Democrat Martin Nesbitt is declared the winner

District 50: Incumbent Democrat John Snow is declared the winner

Counting the District 24 and District 45 races as likely Democratic wins, I have them leading Republicans 26-17 with results pending in seven races. It looks as if Democrats will take five of the last seven, giving them a 31-19 margin in the new General Assembly.