From reporter Sarah Lemagie in Duluth: U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, in a tough run for his 19th term in Congress, was waxing increasingly confident as election night wore on, though nobody was calling the race as the midnight hour loomed. The Iron Range DFLer, speaking at the Holiday Inn in Duluth, said he knew early on that key fights in Congress over stimulus funding, health care and regulation of financial institutions would heat up mid-term elections nationwide. Republican challenger Chip Cravaack, benefitting from the national GOP tsunami, seemed to be hovering just 10 points behind Oberstar as early results came in, but still with most votes uncounted. But in the Minnesota 8th, where Oberstar rarely falls below 60 percent, "no one really expected a serious contest early on," said press aide Jim Berard. But several events in the campaign drew national attention, he said, starting with a poll released by Cravaack's campaign in early October that showed the challenger within striking distance. "That was a turning point in the campaign," said Oberstar. Though Democrats called it a "push poll," it drew more outside money to his opponent than Oberstar's ever seen in a challenger.
