National Elections Trigger Major Shift in Congressional Leadership

As in Minnesota, national Republicans scored a major victory by reclaiming majority status in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the U.S. Senate, Democrats retained their majority status, but the margin has narrowed to only a couple of seats. These combined changes ensure that President Barack Obama will have a more difficult time advancing his agenda than was the case in the last two years.

In Minnesota, all but one congressional incumbent was re-elected; notably, long-time congressional Democrat Jim Oberstar (Duluth) was defeated by newcomer Chip Cravaack, a retired military veteran. Oberstar had served in the House for 36 years and was most recently chair of a powerful transportation funding committee. Nonetheless, the anti-incumbent winds blew strongly in his district, aided by a perception that he was detached from local voters and their concerns about the economy.