The Democrats may not be done rolling up the score in Congress. Because of court-ordered redistricting, Dist. 23, which stretches from San Antonio almost to El Paso, was a special election rather than a general election. Unlike a general election, just getting the most votes is not enough – to win a special, an actual majority is required, and if no achieves it, a run-off is required. And an unlimited number of candidates from any party may run.

Dist. 23 was gerrymandered by Tom DeLay in 2003 to favor Republican Henry Bonilla, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the lines violated the Voting Rights Act and ordered them redrawn again this summer; the new boundaries weren't quite as GOP-friendly.

Bonilla may have come up just short: With 306 of 326 precincts reporting, he has just 48.07% of the vote. If those numbers hold, he'll be thrust into a run-off against Democrat Ciro Rodriguez, who is in a comfortable second with 20.27%. To whip out that old cliche, turnout will be everything in a run-off: Rodriguez and five other Democrats combined for 49.19%. Note to the Democratic National Committee: Pump some money into this race now. The run-off, if it happens, will likely be held in December.

UPDATE: New numbers, with only two boxes uncounted: Bonilla's percentage is down to 47.97%. It will definitely go to a runoff.

That blue island in the sea of red that is Travis County added some land last night, as the neighboring Hays County government made a dramatic flip from R to D. All three Republican incumbents on the commissioners court were swept from office – including County Judge Jim Powers, who was first elected in 1998 – completely reversing the court makeup from 4-1 GOP to 4-1 Dem. There is still room for Republicans in Hays, though – they won Precinct 5 constable, Precinct 4 justice of the peace, 428th District judge, and county clerk, although the latter two were by razor-thin margins, 1.2% and 0.6%, respectively. Dems took county court-at-law and criminal district attorney, the latter by just 99 votes. It's definitely a divided county – the biggest percentage of the vote by any of those victors was 54.9.

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."