Visit Our Sponsors Races President Congress Legislature Audio Highlights President Bush's post-election news conference (11/4/04) President George W. Bush accepts his victory (11/3/04) Sen. John F. Kerry acknowledges his defeat (11/3/04) Sen. John Edwards (11/3/04) John Thune accepts S.D. Senate victory (11/3/04) Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) on his victory (11/2/04) Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) (11/2/04) Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-Minn.) (11/2/04) Patty Wetterling concedes (11/2/04) Sen. Mark Dayton's analysis of Minn. vote (11/2/04) Election Results See complete election returns from Minnesota and the U.S. Select A Candidate Select A Candidate Which candidates' views on the issues most closely match your own? Take our Select A Candidate survey. Conventions Democratic National Convention Republican National Convention Your Voice What goals would you set for President Bush? What focus would you like to see? What do you want from the 2004 administration?

Patty Wetterling's uncertain political future
Democrat Patty Wetterling lost her bid for Congress by 30,000 votes. But political observers say Wetterling, as a first-time candidate, made a good showing against incumbent Republican Mark Kennedy. Now many wonder about Wetterling's political future. (11/03/2004)

What was the impact of young voters in Minnesota?
Young Minnesota voters turned out in big numbers on Election Day. Exit polls show 59 percent of the state's 18-29 year olds voted for Democrat John Kerry and that may have made a difference in Kerry's success in Minnesota. (11/03/2004)

DFL influence grows at Capitol
Republicans narrowly maintained their majority in the Minnesota House in the 2004 election, squeaking through with a one-vote margin. Democrats picked up 13 seats, including five held by Republican committee chairs. The close headcount in the House could lead to more bipartisan cooperation... or greater gridlock. (11/03/2004)

Bush's agenda for second term: Iraq, economy
President Bush heads into his second term with the stabilization of Iraq under a democratic government as his top policy goal. But he also has unfinished domestic business, including making his sweeping tax cuts permanent, reforming Social Security, and promoting energy production. Here is a summary of his plans. (11/03/2004)

Bush "humbled" by victory, and eager to get to work
President Bush won four more years in the White House on Wednesday and pledged to "fight this war on terror with every resource of our national power." John Kerry conceded defeat rather than back an election challenge in make-or-break Ohio. The president spoke before thousands of cheering supporters less than an hour after his vanquished rival conceded defeat. (11/03/2004)

Kerry concedes; calls for national healing
President Bush won four more years in the White House on Wednesday, pocketing a public concession from Democrat John Kerry that closed out a loud and long campaign fought over the war on terror and the economy. "We cannot win this election," the Massachusetts senator said in an emotional campaign farewell after deciding not to contest Bush's lead in make-or-break Ohio. (11/03/2004)

Election results and reactions
Midday host Gary Eichten and MPR political editor Mike Mulcahy join Kerri Miller for an election wrap special. We'll check with representatives of the parties involved in the presidential race, get reactions to the results of the Daschle-Thune contest in South Dakota and take your calls. ( 11/03/2004)

Democrats win big, but GOP clings to power in Minnesota House
Republicans clung to the barest of Minnesota House majorities after a Democratic rout in Tuesday's election, with a recount in one race threatening to split the chamber down the middle. After a lengthy vote count that didn't end until nearly 10 a.m. Wednesday, GOP Rep. Judy Soderstrom had 50 percent, or 9,998 votes, to DFLer Tim Faust's 49 percent, or 9,904 votes, in the race for her seat north of the Twin Cities. (11/03/2004)

Daschle goes down to defeat in South Dakota
A political era ended in South Dakota with the defeat of U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. Daschle became the first party leader in more than 50 years to be voted out of office. Republican John Thune beat him by a 51-49 percent margin. (11/03/2004)

Republicans topple Daschle, widen Senate lead
Republicans tightened their grip on the Senate early Wednesday, dealing defeat to Democratic Leader Tom Daschle in South Dakota and capturing a string of seats across the South. (11/03/2004)

Kerry captures Minnesota
John Kerry captured Minnesota Tuesday, keeping alive a 32-year Democratic winning streak despite a major Republican push to deliver the state to President Bush. (11/03/2004)

Republicans extend decade of House control, may pad margin
Republicans extended their decade-long hold on the House for another two years and seemed likely to slightly expand their majority, knocking off four veteran Texas Democrats along the way. (11/03/2004)

Minnesota members of Congress return to Washington
Minnesota is sending back all of the state's incumbents to Congress. Republican Mark Kennedy defeated DFL challenger Patty Wetterling in the race that garnered most of the attention. Kennedy received 54 percent of the vote in Minnesota's 6th District to Wetterling's 46 percent of the vote. Kennedy's victory means that Minnesota's congressional delegation will be split with four Republicans and four Democrats. Members of both parties say they hope to put the recent partisan rhetoric behind them when they go back to Washington. (11/02/2004)

KNOW Exit Poll: Presidential vote in Minnesota was referendum on Iraq
Exit poll data suggests John Kerry's victory in Minnesota was more a rejection of President Bush than an affirmation of the Democratic challenger. Read the full exit poll results and listen to voters explain why they voted the way they did. (11/02/2004)

Decision day: Voters choose between Bush and Kerry with record turnout predicted
President Bush and challenger John Kerry fought to the wire in their long, bitter race for the White House on Tuesday as Americans turned out in droves to choose between their embattled wartime president and a Democrat who vigorously questioned the invasion of Iraq. "I've given it my all," Bush said after voting at a Crawford, Texas, firehouse. Kerry got teary-eyed as he thanked his staff for a campaign's worth of work. "We made the case for change," he said. (11/02/2004)