Democrats take the House

Victory in the House!

With returns coming in from today's midterm elections, Democrats picked up at least the 15 seats they needed for a House majority, according to returns tabulated by the Associated Press. White House officials privately acknowledged that Democrats appeared almost certain to win significantly more seats than needed to gain control of the House for the first time since 1994 -- a result that would dramatically alter the balance of power in Washington for final two years of the Bush administration.

At 11:00 pm "Texas time", the Senate is down to four races. Webb has taken a slight lead according to CNN; McCaskill still trails in Missouri.

As for Texas, Lampson is well ahead of Sekula-Gibbs, but Bell has gone down in flames.

UPDATE: McCaskill pulls ahead in Missouri!

UPDATE: Tester's lead has narrowed to 4%.

UPDATE: Things have gone very well close to home:

Voters swept aside years of Republican domination in Dallas County on Tuesday, electing the county's first black district attorney, dumping the favored Republican county judge and giving dozens of GOP judgeships to Democrats.

"I'm not surprised," said Craig Watkins, the underfunded and often written-off Democrat who rode a rising Democratic tide to edge out his better-funded Republican rival, Toby Shook.

He wept tears of joy before he took the stage at the Adam's Mark Hotel, where Democrats were celebrating. "It's a new day in Dallas County," he told the crowd of about 1,000. "Republicans have held us for too long."

For what it's worth, Bell won in Dallas County, garnering 40% of the vote.

UPDATE: On CNN, Talent sounds like he's conceding...

UPDATE: ...and CNN has called it for McCaskill. Also, here's a handy link on how the recount would work in Virginia.

UPDATE: Washington Post - Republican Revolution comes to an end.

UPDATE: Jeffrey Toobin on CNN thinks a 12,000 vote deficit is a good reason for Allen not to call for a recount, as there's little chance he'll get the result overturned. A reader at TPM thinks there's another good reason not to have a recount.