Michele Bachmann Re-Elected in Minnesota's 6th District, Most Expensive Congressional Race

Updated: Tuesday, 02 Nov 2010, 11:38 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 02 Nov 2010, 11:23 PM EDT

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann was re-elected in Minnesota's 6th congressional district, ending the nation's most expensive U.S. House race.

Bachmann, a Tea Party favorite, won a third term after raising more than $11 million and spending at least $8.8 million.

"This is step one in the turn-around project," said Bachmann after the results were announced. "There is a lot of work to do, but together we will take back and reclaim the greatness of this nation."

Her prodigious fundraising paid for months of negative TV ads painting Clark as a tax-and-spender. Clark raised more than $4 million of her own and got plenty of help from outside the district. But she fell short in her attempt to portray Bachmann as more concerned with her national prospects than with the people of the district.

Bachmann was bashed by several big names, like former president Bill Clinton and Garrison Keillor. Clinton said Bachmann makes former Republican Presidents Richard Nixon and George W. Bush look like liberals and student radicals. He also said great GOP presidents like Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower would vote for Clark.

In the final weeks before Election Day, Bachmann said she was not surprised the Democrats were bringing out some heavy hitters to campaign for Clark. Bachmann felt she was a high value target for Democrats.

The 6th is Minnesota's most conservative district, covering northern Twin Cities suburbs and the St. Cloud area.