Two swing seats in Virginia, both key Democratic targets in the party’s bid to reverse Republican control of the U.S. House, remained up in the air in early counts Tuesday evening.

Republicans led in the 2nd District race in the southeastern corner of the state, while Democrats had an early edge in the 7th District in Northern Virginia, but the sample sizes were both far too small for any candidate to declare victory.

With 8% of the vote in, Republican incumbent Rep, Jen Kiggans led Democratic challenger Missy Cotter Smasal by 57% to 40% in the 2nd District.

The seat is known to swing — Ms. Kiggans, a former Navy helicopter pilot, won it over a Democratic incumbent in 2022, and Democrats were pushing Ms. Cotter Smasal, also a Navy veteran, to reclaim the seat in a district centered on Navy bases in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area.

In the Washington suburbs, Democrat Eugene Vindman and Republican Derrick Anderson were still in a tight race for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.

With 16% of the votes counted, Mr. Vindman held a lead of 51.1% to 48.9%.

The seat was open because three-term Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, decided to vacate the seat for a gubernatorial bid next year.

The race has proven to be one of the most competitive House races in the country, although Mr. Vindman, a former Army officer, is new to politics.

His campaign focused on abortion rights and he tied his opponent to the “extreme” MAGA movement of former President Donald Trump.

Mr. Anderson — also a veteran — focused on the economy and painted Mr. Vindman as a “defund-the-police” radical.

Like the 2nd District, the 7th District is known to flip, although it was heavily Republican until Ms. Spanberger’s win in 2018.
Republicans can afford to lose only four seats nationally.

The other hotly contested House race in the Washington region was Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.

Democratic House candidate April McClain Delaney is defending an open seat against Republican challenger Neil Parrott.

The seat was open because Rep. David Trone, a Democrat, decided to run for Senate, but he lost in the primary to Prince George’s County Angela Alsobrooks.

The district covers the state’s conservative western region and a piece of wealthy, suburban left-leaning Montgomery County.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.