COLUMBIA, S.C. - U.S. House incumbents new and old coasted to easy wins on Tuesday in South Carolina.

Rep. Jim DeMint's bid for the U.S. Senate made his 4th District seat the only House opening. Bob Inglis, the Republican who held the seat for six years before honoring a term-limit pledge, was recaptured his old job.

Bill Moore, a College of Charleston political scientist, said no one should expect surprises in U.S. House races.

Over the years, legislators have drawn lines to make sure that Republican or Democratic incumbents are safe. "The districts are so gerrymandered," he said.

On top of that, incumbents go into elections with huge advantages: name recognition and the ability to raise cash.

Inglis' spokesman Wayne Roper said Inglis entered the race "well known" and "started with a big advantage." Still, he faced a strong opponent in political newcomer Brandon Brown, a Democrat, Roper said.

The race may have hinged more on the amount of campaigning Inglis did than his incumbent status. "He has knocked on thousands of doors," Roper said.

With 58 percent of the unofficial results reported, Inglis had about 69 percent of the vote to Brown's 29 percent.

"It really is quite a unique opportunity," Inglis said. "It's very valuable to have been out - to see the mistakes and the things you could do better."

U.S. Rep. John Spratt's district has become the only one that's potentially competitive for an incumbent challenger, Moore said. But this year, Democrat Spratt's "opponent (Republican Al Spencer) has almost no money" to compete.

Spratt easily defeated Spencer. With 60 percent of the unofficial results reported, Spratt had 65 percent of the vote to 35 percent for Spencer.

In the other four U.S. House races:

_ In the 1st District, GOP Rep. Henry Brown defeated James Dunn, a Green Party candidate. Brown was seeking a third term. With 81 percent of the unofficial returns in, Brown led with 88 percent of the vote to Dunn's 12 percent.

_ In the 2nd District, Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican, easily defeated Democrat Michael Ray Ellisor and Steve LeFemine, who is running on the Constitution Party's ticket. Wilson was elected first in 2001 to fill the remaining term of Rep. Floyd Spence. With 61 percent of the unofficial results reported, Wilson had 61 percent followed by Ellisor with 37 percent and LeFemine with 2 percent.

_ In the 3rd District, Republican U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett was unopposed in his first re-election bid and was re-elected.

_ In the 6th District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn defeated perennial challenger Gary McLeod, a Republican. With 69 percent of the unofficial results reported, Clyburn was leading McLeod 67 percent to 33 percent.

The federal races this year mark a big change for South Carolina, Moore said. When Democratic Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings retires in January, Spratt and Clyburn become the senior members of the state's congressional delegation.

With Democrats the minority party in the U.S. House and Senate, South Carolina will lose clout on federal funding for projects at home, Moore said.

Inglis said House rules allow him to keep his six years of seniority on committees. That means he'll be eligible to chair some subcommittees, he said.