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U.S. Reps. Christopher Van Hollen Jr., Donna F. Edwards and Roscoe G. Bartlett dispatched challengers.

"I'm looking forward to the next two years," said Edwards, 50. "We can really get going on the work we've started."

With most of the precincts reporting in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, Edwards (D) had a sizable lead over Republican challenger Peter James 134,558 to 23,818. A third candidate, Libertarian Thibeaux Lincecum, had 2,081 votes. The race also has 341 write-ins.

In the 8th District, Van Hollen (D) had 151,902 votes compared with 45,164 votes for Republican Steve Hudson of Silver Spring; 144 of 180 precincts reported.

Green Party candidate Gordon Clark had 4,636 votes and Libertarian Ian Thomas had 1,768.

And in the 6th District, Republican Bartlett tallied 159,616 votes to 107,499 for Democrat Jennifer P. Dougherty, the former mayor of Frederick.

"I'm honored and pleased that the voters have expressed confidence in me," Bartlett said. "We have worked hard in Congress, and I may be the luckiest congressman. … We are very pleased and honored and glad our constituents have given us another two years."

Edwards' win returns the lawyer and former foundation director to the seat she won in a special election in June after ousting fellow Democrat Albert R. Wynn, an eight-term incumbent, in the February primary. After losing his seat, Wynn resigned early to take a lobbying job.

James, 53-year-old technology consultant from Germantown, got less than 18 percent of the vote in the special election.

Lincecum, 37, an information technology consultant, has a nuclear power background and lives in Prince George's.

The race also had three write-in candidates — Robert Broadus, Darryn O. Jackson Sr. and Steven B. Schulin.

Van Hollen, 49, of Kensington first won election in 2002 against Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Morella. This year, he faced five challengers from four different political parties. He has won re-election with margins of 75 to 25 percent in 2004 and 77 to 22 in 2006.

Hudson, a doctor and lawyer, is a social conservative who has provided humanitarian services across the globe. A 39-year-old from Silver Spring believed in opening up the markets was the solution to many of the country's problems.

Clark, 48, a Silver Spring community organizer and former Democrat, ran because he did not believe Van Hollen is liberal enough for one of the most progressive Congressional districts in the nation, he said.

Deborah Vollmer, who finished second in the Democratic primary, ran a write-in campaign, also challenged Van Hollen from the left. Montgomery election results showed 376 write-in ballots, but not the candidate's name.

Vollmer, 60, of Chevy Chase, in an attorney who argued Van Hollen should do more to get the troops out of Iraq, push for universal healthcare and reverse the loss under the Bush administration of civil liberties.

Thomas was appointed as his party's candidate in July after the previous candidate, Benjamin Parker, withdrew and did not answer queries.

Perennial Democratic candidate Lih Young, 67, of Rockville also ran as a write-in candidate. Young has campaigned on the need for more revolutionary ideas.

The 4th and 8th districts each have portions of Montgomery and Prince George's counties. The 6th District stretches from Backbone Mountain to the Susquehanna River and includes the northern precincts of Montgomery County.

Libertarian Gary W. Hoover Sr. of Washington County also appeared on the ballot. He received 9,067 votes.

Bartlett, 82, of Buckeystown has been in office since 1992.

Dougherty, 47, refused to concede late Tuesday night.

"We'll wait and see until all the votes are counted," she said.