Apparently, the Democrats picked up four Republican seats in the Texas House last night, and could get a fifth: In District 32 (Corpus Christi area), sleazeball incumbent Gene Seaman – fighting for his political life amid investigations of criminal conduct – is clinging to a 24-vote lead over Democrat Juan Garcia with one box out in San Patricio County.

Democratic control of both chambers of Congress hang in the balance of two outstanding Senate races, which, as of this writing, are leaning Dem.

In Montana, Jon Tester leads Republican incumbent Conrad Burns 146,449 to 139,675, 73% reporting, according to CNN. Dems are "extremely optimistic."

Which leaves the Webb-Allen knuckleduster in Virginia. Webb, leading as of this bleary-eyed writing at 1:50am, is up by approximately 11,500 votes; he's already declared victory, but this squeaker will likely be in for a recount.

Like Florida in 2000, or Ohio in 2004, the story hinges on Virginia this election. But with Webb in the lead, the shoe is on the other foot this go around.

Pardon my French, but... holy fucking shit!

Sweet dreams, blue dotters...

That's it for me, folks. My eyes are crossing from about 14 straight hours of staring at a computer. Some of my more nightowl co-workers might continue to post, but I'm heading home. Thanks for joining us tonight for our election coverage.

Dems two seats away from control of Senate - and both chambers!

We're digging through the state results. Of interest:

In Congressional District 10, Democrat Ted Ankrum did refreshingly well against incumbent Michael McCaul. With almost all votes counted, Ankrum, in a conservative district stretching from West Lake Hills to suburban Houston, has pulled in 41% of the vote, vs. McCaul's 54%. Austinite Michael Badnarik – the Libertarian Party's nominee for U.S. president in 2004 – drew 4%.

The threat to conservative Democrat Chet Edwards in CD 17 never materialized – he took 59% in President Bush's home congressional district.

Close the door on the Tom DeLay era: Democrat Nick Lampson will take his old seat, his 50% holding off the write-in campaign of Houston City Council Member Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, who pulled 43%. Lampson will have to be a mighty conservative Democrat – if Gibbs can do that well as a write-in, she could smoke him when her name is actually on the ballot.

CNN has finally projected that the Democrats have wrapped up at least 220 seats, two seats over the number needed to take the majority, making it sort of official.

The Travis County Republican Party's "No Blue Dot" campaign (referring to Travis County's tendency to appear as a blue Democratic Dot on Republican red Texas election maps) has failed miserably.

It took until nearly midnight, but with all 46 precincts reporting, Democrat Valinda Bolton has defeated Republican Bill Welch in state House Dist. 47, at a stroke replacing retiring incumbent GOP Rep. Terry Keel and turning the Travis Co. House delegation solid blue. "People are so hungry for change," Bolton had said a few hours earlier, at the Democratic Party election headquarters at the Stephen F. Austin hotel. Reached again by phone just after the final returns were released by the Travis Co. Clerk, Bolton said, "I'm excited, I'm enthusiastic, and I'm just beginning to realize that a whole new phase of my life is about to begin."

Knock on wood, but it could happen. Since my previous Senate post, McCaskill made a huge swing to pull into a slim lead in Missouri (19% remaining to be counted). The GOP's Corker has defeated Ford in Tennessee, so the current count is GOP, 49-48. Democrat Tester looks solid in Montana with about half counted, so it comes down to this: McCaskill needs to hang on, and Webb – who smartly has declared victory – needs to win the inevitable recount in Virginia.

All precincts have reported, except on the city of Austin bonds. Here are the winners in contested races exclusive to Travis County, and the percentage of votes garnered by the winners: