By Mike Kaszuba

Sen. Amy Koch, R-Buffalo, was elected Friday as the Republican's new Senate Majority Leader, becoming the first woman to hold the title in Minnesota.

Koch, who was first elected to the Senate in 2005, will lead the historic Republican takeover of the Senate, which has not been controlled by the party since at least the 1970s. "I just don't think it's all about me," said Koch, surrounded by her Republican colleagues at a press conference. Beginning in January, the Republicans will hold a 37 to 30 majority in the Senate, erasing a 46 to 21 majority that DFLers had enjoyed before Tuesday's surprising elections. Koch said the Republican majority would work toward having state government "spend within your means", and would also limit the role of government in people's lives. "In our perspective, you know, the jobs come from the private sector," she said. "We're going to be looking for ways to goose the economy through the private sector."