JACKSON, Miss. — Control of the 122-member Mississippi House of Representatives remained in question Wednesday as ballot counting continued in tight races.
Republican officials asserted they taken control from Democrats for the first time since Reconstruction.
"We are confident that the people spoke and we are going to have a Republican speaker," said state Republican Party chairman Arnie Hederman. "It's a historic victory for the Republican Party."
But Rickey Cole, executive director of the state Democratic Party, refused to concede, saying only, "It's awfully close."
As many as 15 races remained in doubt as county officials continued to count absentee ballots. If no leads change, Republicans could pick up 10 seats in the House, giving them a 64-58 majority. They needed to pick up eight seats to claim a majority.
Republicans, who already held a majority in the state Senate, are likely to push their majority to 30-22 in the upper chamber. The GOP also retained control of the governor's office with Tuesday's election of Phil Bryant.
Bryant, currently lieutenant governor, won 61 percent of the vote Tuesday, defeating Hattiesburg Mayor and Democratic nominee Johnny DuPree. The roughly 842,000 total votes in the governor's race were the second highest total in a gubernatorial election in Mississippi history, behind Haley Barbour's 2003 victory over Ronnie Musgrove.
Losing the House could deprive Democrats of some power to influence state budgets and other legislation. Rep. Bobby Moak, D-Bogue Chitto, who hopes to be elected speaker, said GOP control could pave the way for restrictive legislation against immigrants and more attempts to regulate abortion, for example.
Meanwhile, Bryant named Jim Herring of Canton, a former Court of Appeals judge and former state Republican Party chairman, to lead his transition team.
"We talked about during the campaign being ready to lead on day one, and we believe this is day one," Bryant said.
Bryant said again that his legislative agenda would include efforts to reform state budgeting, introduce dual enrollment in high schools and community colleges as a way of providing vocational education and create a commission of business owners to recommend ways to streamline state regulations.
Bryant said that he will propose that the state hold onto $80 million of the $100 million in its rainy day fund for 2014 and succeeding years.
He acknowledged that if the GOP claims a House majority, members of his party will have few excuses for failing to enact their agenda.
"Now we must govern," Bryant said. "It is our responsibility to produce, not only to campaign well but govern well."
As the GOP looked for a majority in the House, some districts remained tightly contested. For example, Rep. Brandon Jones, D-Pascagoula, trailed Republican Charles Busby by fewer than 60 votes, as local officials counted affidavit ballots filed by voters not found on the rolls by polling officials.
Voting foul-ups left some other races in doubt, such as District 25, where Republican Gene Alday was bidding to unseat Democratic incumbent John Mayo of Clarksdale, and District 43, where Democrat Michael Evans was trying to dislodge Republican incumbent Russ Nowell of Louisville. Mayo's name didn't appear on ballots in at least one Tunica County precinct. In Nowell's case some voters in Kemper County received ballots for a different House race.
Democratic incumbents who lost included Mark DuVall of Mantachie and Jimmy Puckett of Amory. Diane Peranich of Pass Christian had conceded her race, while among those who trailed were Dirk Dedeaux of Perkinston, Mayo and Jones. Republicans lead in two open seats and picked up five others, including the north Mississippi district of outgoing House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi.
Mississippi Tea Party members had targeted 10 districts to elect Republicans. Of those, their preferred candidates had won or were leading in five districts. Tea Party member and Madison lawyer Richard Wilbourn said Tuesday that the effort was harder than he anticipated, but he was thrilled that the GOP appears to have flipped McCoy's seat.
"The liberal speaker of the House of Representatives is being replaced by a Republican," Wilbourn said.
Three Republican incumbents also trailed Wednesday: Sidney Bondurant of Grenada, Jim Ellington of Raymond and Nowell.
If Republicans claim a majority, Cole acknowledged that some Democrats could jump ship to the GOP. He said candidates who survived fierce races were unlikely to change parties, but said some other Democrats might cross the aisle.