Associated Press

North Dakota Democrats couldn't translate grass-roots enthusiasm stoked by Barack Obama's presidential candidacy into gains in the state Legislature, where dreams of a new Democratic Senate majority ran aground.

"This one has got me buffaloed," said state Sen. David O'Connell, D-Lansford, the Senate minority leader."We thought we had things going with the caliber of candidates that we had. It just didn't work out."

Tuesday's election brought only marginal changes to the Legislature. Republicans lost three House seats, but fought Democrats to a draw in the Senate, defeating longtime incumbent Sen. Harvey Tallackson, D-Grafton, in the process.

Joe Miller, 25, of Fordville, who worked as a regional state Republican director before deciding on a Senate run, got 60 percent of the vote against Tallackson in unofficial returns.

The 83-year-old Tallackson, a former chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has been in the Legislature for 32 years.

"I worked really hard," Miller said. "I raised a lot of money, sent out a lot of mailings, made a lot of phone calls, knocked on a lot of doors, and ate a lot of turkey dinners at churches."

Unofficial results left the GOP's 26-21 Senate advantage intact, while trimming the Republican House majority to 58-36.

"I thought we would do a little better in numbers," said Rep. Merle Boucher, D-Rolette, the House minority leader. "But we certainly are moving forward, which is a positive."

Rep. Rick Berg, R-Fargo, the House Republican majority leader, and his Senate counterpart, Bob Stenehjem, of Bismarck, said they were pleased with the GOP results.

Democrats had unprecedented organizing and financial help from Obama's North Dakota campaign apparatus, the two men said.

"North Dakota voters are smart. They see the direction that North Dakota is going, a booming economy, creating jobs. They want to keep going in that direction," Berg said.

O'Connell said he had been "ready to bet the farm" that Senate Democrats would pick up at least five Republican-held seats, and that House Democrats would add 10 new members.

Democrats needed a three-seat gain to win control of the Senate, something they haven't had since the 1993 Legislature.

"We had outstanding candidates. I have never seen such good candidates, and they were candidates who worked as hard as they could," O'Connell said. "They did everything you are supposed to do."

In the House, three Republican incumbents - Grand Forks Reps. Mark Owens and Don Dietrich and Douglas state Rep. Daryl Lies - were defeated, while Democrat Robert "Tork" Kilichowski of Minto won a seat formerly held by Rep. Gil Herbel, R-Grafton. Herbel did not run for re-election.

Meanwhile, Republicans in North Dakota's northwestern corner picked up a House seat formerly held by Rep. Dorvan Solberg, D-Ray, who stood down to make an unsuccessful Senate run against incumbent Crosby Republican John Andrist.

Republicans held onto Senate seats left by retiring Sens. Herbert Urlacher, R-Taylor, and Ben Tollefson, R-Minot. Democrats' loss of Tallackson was offset in Grand Forks' District 42, where Democrat Mac Schneider won a race to succeed Republican Sen. Nick Hacker.

Hacker decided to stand down after serving one term. Schneider beat the GOP candidate, Nate Martindale, with 56 percent of the vote.

At least one Senate recount is likely. The Senate's most senior member, Republican David Nething of Jamestown, squeezed out a 10-vote victory over Democratic challenger John Grabinger with all five precincts reporting Tuesday.

Nething had 2,975 votes to Grabinger's 2,965, according to unofficial returns. Under state law, the difference is slim enough to require a recount, although some late-arriving absentee ballots could affect the margin.

Nething, 75, was first elected to the Senate in 1966. During his 1970 re-election race, he went to bed trailing by three votes, he said. However, a tabulation error was discovered a few days later, and he won by 70 votes.

"An automatic recount today, where they use the kind of machines they use, doesn't change much, unless there was some fluke," Nething said. Ballots in North Dakota's counties are read by a scanner that tabulates the votes.

Senate Republicans had to defend 16 seats on Tuesday, including seats in Grand Forks, Minot and rural southwestern North Dakota where incumbents did not seek re-election.

Democrats had seven Senate seats on the ballot, including one in which the incumbent, Hankinson Sen. Joel Heitkamp, did not run again. Former Sen. Jim Dotzenrod, D-Wyndmere, won the race to succeed Heitkamp.

Republicans were defending 33 seats in the North Dakota House on Tuesday, while Democrats had 13 seats at risk. In the House, Democrats have not had a majority since the 1983 Legislature.