Republican prospects for keeping control of the North Dakota Senate appeared bright Tuesday, with GOP incumbents winning their races and a senior Democrat, Grafton Sen. Harvey Tallackson, losing a seat he has held for 32 years.

Democrats needed to win at least three Republican-held seats to break a 16-year GOP stranglehold on the Legislature. Late returns indicated Republicans were likely to keep their current 26-21 Senate advantage.

In the House, Democrats were making inroads into a stronger Republican majority, but the GOP was expected to keep its edge. Republicans held 61 seats to Democrats' 33 going into Tuesday's election.

In Grand Forks' District 42, Democrat Mac Schneider defeated Republican Nate Martindale, 56 percent to 44 percent, late Tuesday with all six precincts reporting.

Schneider's victory represented a Democratic pickup in the district, which includes the University of North Dakota. The incumbent, GOP Sen. Nick Hacker, decided against running for a second term.

However, in District 16, which includes Walsh County and part of Pembina County in North Dakota's northeastern corner, Tallackson lost to Republican challenger Joe Miller. Tallackson, 83, was first elected to the Senate in 1976.

With all precincts reporting late Tuesday, Miller had 60 percent of the vote to Tallackson's 40 percent.

At least one Senate recount may be in the offing. 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 margin is slim enough to require a recount.

Republicans won in two Senate districts in which a GOP incumbent retired.

In District 36 in southwestern North Dakota, George Nodland, of Dickinson, had 60 percent of the vote with 17 of the district's 18 precincts reporting. Nodland's Democratic challenger, Chuck Andrus, of South Heart, had 40 percent.

Republican David Hogue, of Minot, won a bid to succeed retiring Sen. Ben Tollefson, R-Minot, in District 38. With all seven precincts reporting, Hogue had 65 percent of the vote to Democrat Gary Granzotto's 35 percent.

Senate Republicans defended 16 seats this fall, 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 was running for Heitkamp's seat in District 26, which includes part of North Dakota's southeastern corner.

In the 2007 Legislature, Senate Republicans held a 26-21 advantage over Democrats, while the House advantage was even more pronounced - 61 seats to Democrats' 33.

Republicans were defending 33 seats in the North Dakota House on Tuesday, while Democrats had 13 seats at risk.

Democrats have not controlled the North Dakota Senate since 1993. In the House, they have not had a majority since the 1983 session.