WASHINGTON — With more than 50 races yet to be called, it could take days or weeks to count all of the votes to determine which party won the U.S. House of Representatives.
If the Republican Party maintains control of the House, that could mean big things for one local lawmaker.
U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R, VA-01) currently serves as vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
He has made no secret about his desire to become chairman of that panel, which could happen if the GOP maintains a majority in the House.
Wittman spoke about it back in September.
"Virginia is ground zero for much of our military. I want to make sure we continue to support that. Being in a leadership position there on the House Armed Services Committee allows me to do a lot of things. Eventually competing to become chairman would allow me to do even more," he said in an interview with 13News Now.
The committee is responsible for funding and oversight of the Department of Defense and the United States Armed Forces. Wittman has served on the committee since he was first elected to Congress in 2007.
Wittman won reelection in Virginia's First Congressional District on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. He defeated Democrat challenger Leslie Mehta in a race covering the newly redrawn U.S. House District 1, which now includes Chesterfield and Henrico counties.
As of Wednesday afternoon with 79% of precincts reporting, Wittman led the race with 56% of the vote, compared to 43% for Mehta.