Of course, he had no choice but to send me to the one open seat in the middle of the room.

当然，他别无选择，只能让我坐到屋子中间那张唯一空着的座位上。

youdao

Democrats only had to defend one open seat, in Iowa, where Democratic Secretary of State Chet Culver beat Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle.

CNN: Majority of states have Democratic governor

Conversations with advisers to several potential candidates suggest that the first reason for the slow ramp-up is a basic one: The coming campaign isn't for an open seat in the White House, but rather will be a race against an incumbent president.

WSJ: Why Is the 2012 Race Off to Such a Slow Start?

In one of the open races, Democrat Mike McMahon won the last GOP-held seat in New York City, defeating the GOP's Robert Straniere.

CNN: Democrats widen House majority, CNN projects