Topeka ? It’s rare when four legislative races are the subject of recounts – and even more rare that in one, the election night outcome might be altered.

When ballots were counted Nov. 7 in 125 House districts, Republicans still owned the chamber by a 79-46 margin, a loss of four seats. Depending on the outcome of the recounts, they could drop an additional one to four seats but still be in charge when the Legislature convenes Jan. 8.

State election officials said Wednesday they can’t recall a time when that many House district results have been in dispute.

“It just happened that these four districts came out incredibly close. It’s not unusual to see votes come out as close, it’s just usually not that many,” said Stephanie Wing, spokeswoman for the secretary of state’s office.

Wing said the recounts requested by the losers will be completed next week and the results of all elections in the state certified Nov. 29 by the State Board of Canvassers.

The closest contest is in District 16, between Democrat Gene Rardin and Republican John Kriegshauser, both of Overland Park. Kriegshauser knocked off Rep. Jim Yonally in the GOP primary and on election night was ahead by 27 votes.

But when provisional ballots were added to the mix, Rardin had pulled ahead by four votes.

“The Democrats recruited a quality candidate, and in this particular year things happened that normally don’t happen. Democrats were energized beyond anything we have seen in years,” said House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka.

In District 72, Rep. Tom Thull, D-North Newton, faces losing his seat to Republican Marc Rhoades, of Newton, in his bid for a third term. On election night, Thull was behind by 63 votes, but when provisional ballots were included, he was only 34 votes shy.

Another incumbent, Rep. Mitch Holmes, R-St. John, is in better shape. On election night, he was 25 votes ahead of Democratic challenger Kent Goyen, of Pratt. With the provisional votes added, he expanded his lead to 131 votes.

In Great Bend, the District 112 seat vacated by GOP Rep. John Edmonds was in dispute. Republican William Wolf led Democrat Marty Keenan by 41 votes on election night and the provisional ballots expanded his margin by two more votes.

For those seeking a recount, the odds are against them reversing the results.

“I haven’t seen a successful recount in all the years I’ve been in the Legislature,’ said Mays, a lawmaker since 1993. “The voting system we have in the state is pretty good.”

Mays said it’s easier to get a recount because the law now allows candidates to challenge the results without having to pay for it if the margin is no more than 0.5 percent of the total vote.

“What have you got to lose? A lot of people want to put their minds at rest,” Mays said. “You don’t want to spend the rest of your days wondering why you didn’t ask for a recount.”