It wasn’t easy, but three DFL incumbents kept their seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Minnesota House of Representatives and the state Senate.

U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, DFL-Mankato, won with 169,116 votes (50.33 percent) over Jim Hagedorn’s 166,603 (49.59 percent).

Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, defeated challenger Gene Dornink with 20,545 votes (54.76 percent) compared to 16,948 (45.17 percent).

Rep. Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin, defeated Dennis Schminke 9,490 (53.62 percent) to 8,195 (46.3 percent).