Democrats win N.Y. House seat, Minn. governorship

With the concession of two Republicans on Wednesday, the remaining undecided U.S. House and gubernatorial races nationwide ended with a small boost for Democrats after the walloping the party took in November.

In Minnesota, a Democrat will become governor for the first time in nearly two decades. Democrat Mark Dayton had a 9,000-vote lead over Republican opponent Tom Emmer on election night, and Emmer, a three-term state legislator, was unable to close the gap through a recount.

"Minnesotans made their choice, by however thin a margin, and we respect that choice," Emmer said Wednesday. He said he decided not to sue to challenge the results because "I do not believe a delay in the seating of the next governor will unite us or help us move the state forward."

In New York, businessman Randy Altschuler, a Republican, exited what was the final remaining House race, returning the seat to the incumbent, four-term Democratic Rep. Timothy H. Bishop.

Bishop had just a 263-vote lead over Altschuler for the district representing the eastern tip of Long Island. Altschuler decided against forcing a hand recount of the ballots, voicing concern that "its cost will place an unnecessary burden" on taxpayers.

Democrats cheered the late victories that follow a slew of losses and the sour mood of voters toward incumbents.

In November, Democrats ceded the House majority to Republicans after losing 63 seats, and the party has a diminished Senate majority after Republicans picked up six seats. Republicans also took five gubernatorial seats.

In the new Congress starting in January, the House will have 242 Republicans and 193 Democrats. The Senate will have 51 Democrats, with two independents caucusing with the party, and 47 Republicans.

The Alaska Senate race remains the only unresolved national campaign, an unlikely situation that pits a Republican against a Republican.

Lawyers for tea-party-backed Joe Miller, who defeated Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the GOP primary, were in court Wednesday seeking to toss out more than 8,100 votes that Murkowski got in a write-in campaign. Murkowski leads in the unofficial tally. Judge William Carey will decide the issue by Friday.