In Palm Springs, Democrat Raul Ruiz defeated California Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack, whose husband, Rep. Connie Mack, also lost his bid for U.S. Senate in Florida.

The tea party lost one of its more high-profile members in Republican Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois. The House freshman lost to Tammy Duckworth, a double amputee Iraq War veteran who spoke at the Democratic National Convention. Chicago-area voters also re-elected absentee Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who was gone from Capitol Hill for months after being diagnosed and treated for a bipolar disorder. He hasn’t been seen publicly since early this summer.

In Florida, Rep. Allen West, a tea party favorite and one of two black Republicans in the House, appears to have lost his bid for a second term against Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy. Embattled Miami Rep. David Rivera, a Republican who faced criminal and ethical probes when he took office two years ago, lost to Democrat Rep. Joe Garcia.

In Utah, Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love lost to incumbent Rep. Jim Matheson, a member of the House’s conservative Blue Dog Democratic caucus.

The Blue Dogs were once a powerful 54-member moderate force in the House. But their membership was halved after losses to Republican candidates in the 2010 elections. Blue Dog membership is expected to be down to the teens after Tuesday’s results.

Among the early House results, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., and Republican Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky, a 32-year veteran who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, cruised to re-election victories. In Kentucky, Republican challenger Andy Barr unseated incumbent Democratic Rep. Ben Chandler.