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Though the U.S. Senate race seemed to hold the most promise for a close race, it was the governor's race in Minnesota that grabbed the election-night headlines. Incumbent Tim Pawlenty held onto his office by just 22,000 votes over DFLer Mike Hatch. But Pawlenty saw his GOP colleagues swept out of office. In the Senate race, DFLer Amy Klobuchar easily beat Rep. Mark Kennedy.

The retirement of Sen. Mark Dayton sparked early interest in the campaign, with Rep. Mark Kennedy jumping in early. But a year later, Kennedy emerged as the lone Republican for the job, and Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar's strength was forcing several Democrats, including Patty Wetterling, out of the race.

The Senate race immediately attracted national attention, but as Klobuchar surged ahead of Kennedy in the polls, much national attention turned to the 6th District, where Patty Wetterling and state Sen. Michele Bachmann were the major contenders. Bachmann beat Wettlerling. It was Wetterling's second straight loss in the district. In the 5th, Rep. Keith Ellison became the first Muslim congressman. And in the 1st, incumbent Gil Gutknecht was defeated by DFLer Tim Walz.
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A Democratic wave sweeps Republicans out of power on Capitol Hill, a DFL Senate candidate obliterates her opposition, and the DFL rolls to a majority in the Minnesota House. Why wasn't Mike Hatch included in the pro-Democrat wave? (11/08/2006)
Democrat Amy Klobuchar sailed to an easy victory in the U.S. Senate race Tuesday, capitalizing on voter anger over the Iraq war to become Minnesota's first elected female senator. (11/08/2006)
Democrat Keith Ellison was elected as the nation's first Muslim member of Congress on Tuesday, easily winning a Minneapolis-area district Republicans had not carried since 1962. He is also Minnesota's first nonwhite representative in Washington. (11/07/2006)
Democrats picked up 19 seats in the Minnesota House to take a large majority over Republicans. In the Senate, Majority Leader Dean Johnson, the top DFLer, lost his seat by a narrow margin. (11/08/2006)
Minnesota 8th District Congressman Jim Oberstar is about to become really important in the transportation world. As the ranking Democrat, Oberstar is expected to become chair of the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in January. (11/09/2006)
School districts asking for more money from residents didn't fare well last night. Operating levy referendums passed in only 29 school districts but 69 districts were looking to increase taxes to generate more money. (11/08/2006)
Republicans have lost control of the U.S. House and could lose the Senate, too, if Democrats win races still pending in Virginia and Montana. President Bush holds a news conference Wednesday to explain how the radically different political landscape will affect his last two years in office. (Midday, 11/08/2006)
DFLers won Minnesota's open U.S. Senate seat, but came up short in the governor's race. Democrats picked off 1st District U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, took the Minnesota House and made gains in the state Senate. But DFL Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson narrowly lost his seat in the Legislature. (Midday, 11/08/2006)
Democrats did well in Minnesota on Election Day, but Republicans held on to the governor's office and a high profile congressional district. Political scientist Chris Gilbert of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter analyzes the results. (11/08/2006)
As a result of the Democrats' taking control of the U.S. House, Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson, a DFLer from the 7th District, is in line to become chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. He spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer. (11/08/2006)
Several races in Minnesota came down to the wire, and were settled by a relative handful of votes. It's possible some will be subject to a recount. Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer talks about the recount process. (11/08/2006)
In a vote that attracted national attention, South Dakotans rejected a state law that banned nearly all abortions. 56 percent of the voters rejected the ban. (11/08/2006)
Minnesota voters locked state government into spending more money on roads and public transit, approving an amendment to the state constitution that's expected to funnel an extra $300 million a year into transportation projects. (11/08/2006)
Bachmann defeated Democrat Patty Wetterling in a hard-fought contest that will go down as the state's most expensive U.S. House race. (11/08/2006)
In one of the state's biggest election upsets, Minnesota's 1st Congressional District has gone democratic. First-time candidate Tim Walz won the race with 53 percent of the vote, defeating Republican six-term incumbent Gil Gutknecht. (11/08/2006)

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