Two close Virginia House of Delegates races appeared to be headed to recounts Monday, after tallies of mail-in and provisional ballots left the Republican challengers with slim leads.

       As the results stood Monday, Republicans appeared to have picked up seven seats, giving their party a 52-to-48 majority in the House.

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       But Del. Martha M. Mugler (D-Hampton) and Del. Alex Askew (D-Virginia Beach) would not concede, with the margin in Mugler’s race against Republican A.C. Cordoza below the 0.5 percent mark that would trigger an automatic state-funded recount, and the divide in Askew’s race against Republican Karen Greenhalgh nearly at that point.

       “This is not over yet,” said Zo？ Kleinfeld, Askew’s campaign manager.

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       Mugler had conceded on Friday but undid that concession in a Facebook post on Sunday.

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       On Monday, House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) also walked back a congratulatory statement she had delivered to Republicans on Friday, with her office saying every vote should be counted in the two close races.

       “We’re just sort of waiting it out, seeing what we see,” said Sigalle Reshef, a spokeswoman for Filler-Corn. “We’re going to let the system play out.”

       House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), who has said the GOP is confident it has 52 seats, declined to comment Monday about the likelihood of recounts.

       The late maneuvering illustrates the high stakes for Democrats, with gridlock in Richmond likely, after Republicans picked up control of Virginia’s executive branch, with Glenn Youngkin the governor-elect, Winsome E. Sears the next lieutenant governor and Del. Jason S. Miyares (R-Virginia Beach) the next attorney general.

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       Democrats hold a slim 21-to-19 majority in the state Senate, which was not up for election this year — presenting an obstacle for the GOP in fully pursuing its agenda if its control of the House holds.

       In other races, the Associated Press projected that Republican newcomer Kim Taylor, the co-owner of an auto repair shop, would defeat Del. Lashrecse D. Aird (D-Petersburg) by nearly two points.

       Republican Tim Anderson, a lawyer and gun shop owner, was projected to defeat Del. Nancy D. Guy (D-Virginia Beach) by two points.

       Gilbert appears to be the Republican choice for House speaker after initially facing some opposition from Del. Terry G. Kilgore (R-Scott), who announced the day after the election that he would pursue the role.

       On Friday, Kilgore told fellow Republicans that he endorsed Gilbert as speaker, according to a letter provided by Gilbert’s office. In the same letter, Gilbert said he supports Kilgore to be the next House majority leader.