WASHINGTON – Republicans recaptured control of the House early Wednesday, besting Democrats in a billion-dollar battle and ensuring that the chamber will be dominated by their conservative agenda.

Reacting to President Barack Obama’s re-election, House Speaker John Boehner said the voters want both parties to find common ground on repairing the economy.

Republicans captured control of the House for two more years early Wednesday, besting Democrats in a billion-dollar battle and ensuring that the chamber will be dominated by their conservative agenda and continue to clash with newly re-elected President Barack Obama.

Past midnight in the East, Democrats had knocked off 12 GOP House members, including 10 members of the huge tea party-backed House GOP freshman class of 2010.

Republican losers included four incumbents from Illinois, two each from New Hampshire and New York, and one apiece from Florida, Maryland, Minnesota and Texas.

Republicans nearly matched, picking up nine previously Democratic seats.

Their candidates defeated one Democratic incumbent apiece in Kentucky, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania and picked up an open seat each in Arkansas, California, Indiana, North Carolina, and Oklahoma currently held by Democrats who retired or ran for another office.

With almost 90 per cent of the 435 House races called by The Associated Press, Republicans had won 224 seats and were leading in 15 more.

For a majority in the chamber, a party must control 218 seats. Democrats had won 170 seats and were leading in 25 others.

It appeared likely that the two parties’ margins in the new Congress would closely resemble the current tally.

Republicans control the chamber by 240 to 190, plus five vacancies: two seats once controlled by the GOP and three by Democrats.

Early Wednesday, it remained in doubt whether either party would ultimately have a net gain.