Democrat Tim Walz has survived a GOP wave to hang on to his southern Minnesota seat in Congress.

Walz squeaked past Republican Jim Hagedorn in a race that was a rematch of 2014.

The race hadn’t been expected to be close. Outside groups spent little for Hagedorn, who carried some baggage from the race two years ago.

A former member of the Army National Guard, Walz ousted a six-term incumbent in 2006 to win his congressional seat and had regularly cruised to re-election for each of his five terms.

Hagedorn is the son of a former Minnesota congressman.

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3:10 a.m.

Republicans have the upper hand in the battle for control of the Minnesota Senate.

The final word will hinge on close elections in Lakeville and Apple Valley.

And a pair of races in Plymouth and St. Cloud that favored Republicans are headed for an automatic recount because of tiny margins of victory.

Democrats were protecting a six-seat majority in the Senate heading into Election Day. Though they defeated the top Senate Republican, Democrats suffered heavy losses in rural districts that could cost them that majority.

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3:05 a.m.

Conservative former radio host Jason Lewis has beaten Democrat Angie Craig to keep retiring U.S. Rep. John Kline’s southern Minnesota seat in Republican hands.

Lewis weathered a barrage of attack ads airing controversial comments he made on his radio show to win in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District in Tuesday’s election.

The race for one of the nation’s few swing districts was regarded as a toss-up. Kline opted to retire after seven terms.

During the campaign, Craig contrasted her private business experience as a former St. Jude Medical executive with Lewis’ long career on talk radio. Voters were hammered with ads that played back comments of Lewis calling women “non-thinking” for their views on contraception and other clips. Lewis had called the ads unfair and wrong.

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2:55 p.m.

Democratic U.S. Rep Rick Nolan has won his third straight term representing northeast Minnesota.

Nolan held on Tuesday to survive a rematch against Republican Stewart Mills.

Republicans had eyed Nolan’s seat for a potential upset. They believed GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s platform would appeal to the area’s mining towns reeling from a steel industry downturn.

Once a reliable Democratic stronghold, the 8th Congressional District has become competitive by growing to include more conservative areas. The race was one of the most expensive congressional elections in the country.

Mills is a wealthy scion of a Minnesota chain of retail stores. Nolan narrowly defeated him in 2014.

Nolan’s victory prolongs his second stint in Congress that began in 2012. Nolan also served in Congress in the late 1970s and early ’80s.

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2:50 p.m.

The outcome of the fight for control of Minnesota’s Senate is on hold.

Democrats were protecting a six-seat majority in the Senate heading into Election Day. Though they defeated the top Senate Republican, Democrats suffered heavy losses in rural districts that could cost them that majority.

But a pair of races in Plymouth and St. Cloud that favored Republicans are headed for an automatic recount because of tiny margins of victory. Senate Democrats were also awaiting the final results in a critical Apple Valley Senate seat.

A Republican win against Sen. Greg Clausen could seal the majority for the GOP. House Republicans held on to control of their own majority.

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2:30 a.m.

U.S. Rep. Tim Walz has often been mentioned as a potential governor some day, but he’s at risk of being knocked off in his re-election bid.

Walz was among many Democrats unexpectedly struggling in what was turning out to be a wave election for Republicans. He was locked in the tightest of races with Republican Jim Hagedorn in a race that seemed like a candidate for recount early Wednesday.

A former member of the Army National Guard, Walz ousted a six-term incumbent in 2006 to win his congressional seat and has regularly cruised to re-election for each of his five terms. He easily beat Hagedorn two years ago.

Hagedorn, the son of a former Minnesota congressman, struggled to mount a serious campaign that year. He was hurt by dismal fundraising and questions about some of his blog posts in which he disparaged Native Americans and gays, among other groups.

The 2016 rematch was widely regarded as a sure thing for Walz, and outside political groups spent little money in the race.

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1:30 a.m.

Voters have returned Associate Justice Natalie Hudson to the Minnesota Supreme Court in her first election test since Gov. Mark Dayton appointed her last year to fill the seat of retiring Justice Alan Page.

Hudson defeated family law attorney Michelle MacDonald in Tuesday’s nonpartisan race. Her re-election leaves the state’s highest court with a majority of justices appointed by the Democratic governor. Dayton has named four of the seven justices. He chose Hudson, who is African-American, to replace Page, the first black justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Hudson previously served 14 years on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She also spent two years as St. Paul city attorney.

In Minnesota, judicial appointments don’t require legislative confirmation. Judges must periodically stand for election, but few incumbents face serious challenges

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1:30 a.m.

Minnesota House Minority Leader Paul Thissen has conceded that Democrats won’t take back the chamber next year.

Democrats pressed incumbent Republicans in suburban and rural districts in their quest to reverse the GOP’s seven-seat majority. But Democrats lost too many of those challenges amid Donald Trump’s stronger-than-expected showing at the presidential level.

Thissen said he’s contacted Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt early Wednesday morning to concede the majority.

The outcome of Senate control was in flux as Democrats defended their six-seat majority. It could hinge on automatic recounts triggered by razor-thin elections in Plymouth and St. Cloud districts.

An all-Republican Legislature could complicate Gov. Mark Dayton’s final two years in office. The Democratic governor had made the case to voters to flip control of the House back to Republicans.

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1:10 a.m.

Hillary Clinton is clinging to a narrow lead in Minnesota as Donald Trump nears a stunning presidential victory.

Democrats laughed at the idea that the Republican business mogul could break Minnesota’s 40-year streak of voting for Democrats. But Clinton held a marginal lead as the final results trickled in Wednesday morning.

Neither campaign paid much attention to Minnesota, a state that has voted for Democrats in every presidential election since 1976. Trump and running mate Mike Pence hosted rallies in the campaign’s final days. Clinton dispatched several surrogates.

Trump’s better-than-expected showing was causing heartburn for other Democratic candidates down the ballot. Rep. Tim Walz’s re-election wasn’t on Democrat’s radar as a challenge. But the southern Minnesota Democrat was neck-and-neck with GOP candidate Jim Hagedorn.