OBERSTAR LOSES: “Northeastern Minnesota will be represented by a Republican in Congress for the first time since 1947 as challenger Chip Cravaack upset longtime Rep. Jim Oberstar in unofficial returns tallied early today,” the Duluth News Tribune reports this morning, and the Politico concurs.

At the Washington Examiner, David Freddoso adds:

Okay, yes, in your dreams you might have thought so, if you’re enough of a political nerd. But House Transportation Chairman James Oberstar, D, appears to have lost despite all those orange stimulus signs.

Follow his link for the additional “Shocking results of 2010,” Freddoso is tracking.

THERE’S GOT TO BE A MORNING AFTER: What Republicans Need to Do Now.

DOES SPOCK HAVE A BEARD IN OUR UNIVERSE, or this one?

Related: The view from the bridge of the Nostromo.

TWEET OF THE DAY.

WELL, IT’S CERTAINLY PINING FOR THE FJORDS: “Krauthammer: ‘Obama Agenda is Dead.'”

Though to borrow a popular expression ’round these parts, don’t get cocky.

Related: Jim Geraghty writes, “It’s the biggest Republican gain in two generations — and yet, because of a few key races, it feels a little disappointing.” — not to Hugh Hewitt, though.

Meanwhile, a “Rough night for the Tea Party Express.”

GOP NETS 58 SEATS: As of the time of this post, Republicans “piled up their biggest House gains — 58 by early Wednesday — since they added 80 seats in 1938. 1994’s was ‘just’ 54 seats”, Phil Elliott of AP tweets.

Related: Painting the map red.

IN CALIFORNIA, MEG WHITMAN CONCEDES TO JERRY BROWN; Barbara Boxer declares victory, but as of time of this post, Carly Fiorina has yet to concede.

RUN TO DAYLIGHT: “Republican Jon Runyan, the former Philadelphia Eagles lineman, beat incumbent Democrat John Adler in a tight New Jersey House race, returning the seat to the party that had long controlled it.”

TAKING A CONTRARIAN APPROACH TO TUESDAY NIGHT’S RESULTS, Nick Gillespie of Reason proffers “Three Reasons Why This Election Didn’t Change a God**** Thing:”

[youtube xMtcTM9zZN4]

And while I don’t entirely agree with that (gridlockwill hopefully prevent a lot less New Deal-ish “bold, persistent experimentation” from coming down the pike, which should make it much easier for businesses to plan once again), as Mark Steyn recently wrote, “Where do you go to vote out the CPSC? Or OSHA? Or the EPA?” And all of the other micromanagement of our lives?

QUESTIONS NOBODY IS ASKING: Is Harry Reid Dracula or Lazarus? John Kerry says…both!

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) tonight held nothing back when congratulating Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for managing to survive a tough reelection bid tonight.

Here’s Kerry statement:

“Politico was wrong, Huffington Post was wrong, hell, all the pundits were wrong. Harry Reid isn’t just Dracula, he isn’t just Lazarus, he’s our Leader and our whole caucus is thrilled that he’s unbreakable and unbeatable.”

I wonder what Chuck Schumer is thinking about Reid’s victory…

“BAD NEWS DUMP OF THE YEAR?” ACORN Filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the middle of election Tuesday.

TEA TIME: GOP TAKES HOUSE, AP REPORTS:

Republicans marched toward House control Tuesday night in midterm elections shadowed by recession, locking up enough Democratic seats to install a conservative majority certain to challenge President Barack Obama at virtually every turn. Speaker-in-waiting John Boehner, his voice breaking with emotion, declared to fellow Republicans, “I’ll never let you down.”But the Republicans fell short in their effort to gain control of the Senate and take full command of Congress. The GOP did gain seats in the Senate and also wrested at least seven governorships from Democrats.

Boehner and his Republicans needed to gain 40 seats for a majority, and had exactly that number in hand a few minutes before midnight in the East. They led for another 24.

Ed Henry of CNN adds, “CNN projects Republicans will pick up at least 60 seats in House, largest since Dems picked up 75 in 1948.”

CALIFORNIA CONUNDRUM: “This election means two things for California: 1. It is now more likely to end up needing a federal bailout, and 2. It is less likely to find Congress receptive to that idea.”

OH TO BE A FLY ON THE WALL: “Obama has made a phone call to John Boehner,” Michael van Poppel of Breaking News Online reports, along with this White House photo.

FOX NEWS PROJECTING HARRY REID THE WINNER IN NEVADA.

MARK KIRK WINS OBAMA’S OLD SENATE SEAT according to AP and Andrew Malcolm of the L.A. Times, over Democratic state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. Kirk’s win was tangentially paved with this classic YouTube clip.

(This later YouTube moment involving a Giannoulias campaign aide, coming hot on the heels of Bob Etheridge’s video meltdown, didn’t help matters.)

Update: In other Illinois news, Guy Benson tweets, “Heh: Illinois ballot initiative permitting recall of the Governor is passing by a massive margin.”

Rod Blagojevich could not be reached for comment.

Update: Michelle Malkin adds, Kirk’s win is “a victory that should be greeted with muted cheers, given Kirk’s cap-and-tax, big government advocacy on Capitol Hill.”

See also Roger L. Simon’s recent post, “Notes for the Day After: Who Is Fred Upton?”

Update: “If Ted Kennedy’s seat can go to Scott Brown, then Obama’s seat can go to Mark Kirk. And it did. It is, to put it mildly, an embarrassment to the president and his party,” Jennifer Rubin writes.

Read the whole thing.™

ILLINOIS: Fox and AP both call the race for Obama’s old Senate seat for Republican Mark Kirk. He’ll be seated immediately, which means he’ll be there for the “lame duck” session.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF ALLEN WEST’S VICTORY SPEECH, online at Stacy McCain’s blog.

FOX: REID LOSES IN NEVADA. Okay it’s Rory Reid, running for Governor, not his dad Harry Reid, whose race is too close to call. Also, Fox calls Pennsylvania for Pat Toomey.