Minnesota DFL rides Obama wave to huge night

    It couldn't have been much better for the Democrats in Minnesota on Tuesday. DFLers relished a string of monumental victories: President Obama won re-election and carried Minnesota, both state constitutional amendments appear to have failed, Rick Nolan defeated incumbent GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack, and the party likely regained control of both chambers of the state Legislature. DFL leaders were disappointed by one loss: Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., appears to have narrowly won re-election over Jim Graves.
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    It couldn't have been much better for the Democrats in Minnesota on Tuesday, as the party savored a string of Election Night wins.

    First, as expected, Sen. Amy Klobuchar sailed to victory.

    Then President Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney, and carried both Minnesota and Wisconsin in the process. His campaign tweeted:

    More good news filtered in throughout the evening for left-leaning activists who campaigned against two constitutional amendment ballot measures. It appeared both measures would fail. One would have effectively banned gay marriage and the other would have required voters to bring a photo ID to the polls.

    Then in a dizzying turnaround, the DFL appeared to have regained both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature, just two short years after the party lost them both. (The House races were not yet all decided in the wee hours Wednesday.)

    Finally, DFLer Rick Nolan upset first-term incumbent GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack in the 8th Congressional District.

    DFL leaders were disappointed by one loss: Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., appears to have narrowly won re-election in her close race with wealthy hotelier Jim Graves. Her campaign tweeted:

    But Graves is mulling a recount:

    It's going to be a long two years for the Minnesota GOP, the Associated Press reports.

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