Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Republicans in Iowa have flipped one U.S. House seat and are competing in a tight race to pick up another. Republicans were guaranteed to control at least two of Iowa’s four seats when the House reconvenes in January, up from the one they held during the current two-year session. Republican Ashley Hinson defeated first-term Democratic Rep. Abby Finkenauer in the district that includes Cedar Rapids and much of northeast Iowa. Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks was competing to flip a second seat that came open with the retirement of Democrat Dave Loebsack. Miller-Meeks’ race against Democrat Rita Hart remained too close to call Wednesday. Democrat Cindy Axne won a second term representing a congressional district that stretches from Des Moines through southwest Iowa.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Republican state Rep. Ashley Hinson has defeated Democratic incumbent Abby Finkenauer to win a northeastern Iowa congressional seat. Hinson, a former television news anchor, won the U.S. House seat Tuesday after a race in which she stressed the need for lower taxes, smaller government and border security. Finkenauer lost in her first bid for reelection following her victory in 2018 over Republican Rod Blum. Hinson, 37, had a conservative voting record in the state Legislature, where she represented a House district in suburban Cedar Rapids.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hospitalizations in Iowa continued to accelerate, reaching new highs with 777 people in hospitals and 164 additional people admitted in the past 24 hours. Another record was set in the past 24 hours Wednesday with 182 people in intensive care with serious COVID-19 illness. Iowa doctors and hospital administrators have recently sounded alarms that increasing virus infections in the state will soon overwhelm hospitals if not reversed. Many are already dealing with high rates of virus infections among hospital staff further reducing the ability to care for patients. More than 2,800 new confirmed cases were identified Wednesday and 26 additional deaths, raising the state total to 1,781.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa voters have reelected Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst to a second term after a heated race in which she portrayed herself as a conservative who was willing to work with Democrats. Ernst beat Democrat Theresa Greenfield, a Des Moines real estate developer. Ernst argued that she had been true to her deeply conservative beliefs as both a state legislator and U.S. senator. She said she had been able to work with Democrats on issues such as veterans health care and child care, though she also served in Republican leadership and has been an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.