After the closest election in memory -- and a protracted post-election trauma in the presidential race -- Republicans retained control of both houses of Congress.  But they did so only by razor-thin margins that may make legislating more complicated than ever.

Republicans will hold 220 House seats (compared to 223 in the last Congress), and Democrats 212 (two more than in the last Congress). The House's two independent members were re-elected.

In the Senate, one race - that of incumbent Washington Republican Slade Gorton against Democratic challenger Maria Cantwell - remained in limbo for weeks.  Finally, though, Republicans lost the seat along with seats in Michigan, Missouri, Florida, Delaware and Minnesota.  Democrats lost seats in Nevada and Virginia. These results mean a net Democratic gain of four Senate seats for a 50-50 evenly divided Senate.

For all the high drama in the Presidential race, the makeup of Congressional agriculture panels changed little. Going down to defeat was Rep. Jay Dickey of Arkansas, a Republican who would have been a key player on the appropriations subcommittee that decides agriculture spending (and, increasingly, broader farm policy as well). Two House Agriculture Committee members survived stiff challenges, while a third (Democratic Rep. David Minge of Minnesota) apparently lost, but has not conceded. But changes in that panel's complexion will be more affected by the retirement of several senior Republican members than by the outcome of disputed House races.

NOTE: 107th Congress Committee membership will differ from the following lists and will be decided in early January.

Republicans
Combest, TX, Chair, 92%
Barrett, NE (Retired; GOP held seat)
Boehner, OH, 71%
Ewing, IL (Retired; GOP held seat)
Goodlatte, VA, Unopposed
Pombo, CA, 58%
Canady, FL (Retired; GOP held seat)
Smith, MI, 61%
Everett, AL, 69%
Lucas, OK, 60%
Chenoweth, ID (Retired; GOP held seat)
Hostettler, IN, 53%
Chambliss, GA, 59%
LaHood, IL, 67%
Moran, KS, 90%
Schaffer, CO, 81%
Thune, SD, 74%
Jenkins, TN, Unopposed
Cooksey, LA, 69%
Calvert, CA, 74%
Gutknecht, MN, 57%
Riley, AL, 88%
Walden, OR, 75%
Simpson, ID, 72%
Ose, CA, 57%
Hayes, NC, 56%
Fletcher, KY, 53%

Democrats
Stenholm, TX, Ranking Member, 60%
Condit, CA, 68%
Peterson, MN, 69%
Dooley, CA, 53%
Clayton, NC, 66%
Minge, MN, 48% (Defeated)
Hilliard, AL, 75%
Pomeroy, ND, 53%
Holden, PA, 67%
Bishop, GA, 54%
Thompson, MS, 65%
Baldacci, ME, 73%
Berry, AR, 60%
McIntyre, NC, 70%
Stabenow, MI (Elected to Senate; GOP picked up seat)
Etheridge, NC, 58%
John, LA, 84%
Boswell, IA, 63%
Phelps, IL, 65%
Lucas, KY, 55%
Thompson, CA, 66%
Hill, IN, 55%
Baca, CA, 60%

• Few members had close calls; 36 members got more than 55% of the vote.
• Incumbents won in two closely-watched races: Democrat Dooley in California and Republican Fletcher in Kentucky.
• Four of the 11 most senior Republicans retired. Only one Democrat voluntarily left the committee.
• Only one member (Minge in Minnesota) lost his bid for re-election.
• Senior Republicans entitled to chair the four subcommittees in the 107^th Congress will be Reps. Boehner (OH), Goodlatte (VA), Pombo (CA) and Smith (MI). If Boehner does not chair a subcommittee (he did not do so during the 106^th Congress), Rep. Everett (AL) would be the next most senior member.
• Each Congress, some members leave one committee for another assignment that they prefer. In addition, depending on the final Republican margin of control in the House, the partisan balance of the committee could shift marginally.

Republicans
Skeen, NM, Chair, 58% (Ineligible for chairmanship in 107^th Congress)
Walsh, NY, 69%
Dickey, AR, 49% (Defeated; Democratic pick-up)
Kingston, GA, 68%
Nethercutt, WA, 58%
Bonilla, TX, 60%
Latham, IA, 69%
Emerson, MO, 70%

Democrats
Kaptur, OH, Ranking Member, 75%
DeLauro, CT, 72%
Hinchey, NY, 62%
Farr, CA, 69%
Boyd, FL, 72%

• Chairman Skeen, under GOP caucus rules, must leave his chairmanship, as will be true for several other Appropriations subcommittee chairmen.
• Subcommittee chairmanships are determined by seniority on the full committee, not the subcommittee. According to Appropriations Committee sources, it is quite possible the next agriculture subcommittee chairman could be a member who does not presently serve on the subcommittee.
• Rep. Dickey, a senior member of the subcommittee, was defeated. All other subcommittee members won with more than 55% of the vote, including Rep. Nethercutt, whose seat was at considerable risk earlier in the campaign.

Republicans
Lugar, IN, Chair, 67%
Santorum, PA, 53%

Democrats
Conrad, ND, 61%
Miller, GA, 57%

• Sen. Santorum was considered endangered at one time, but in recent weeks had been thought a likely winner, which turned out to be the case.
• Sen. Miller handily avoided a runoff, which would have been required under Georgia law if his margin had been less than 50%.

Republican
Gorton, WA, 49% 
Burns, MT, 51%

Democrats
Kohl, WI, Ranking Member, 62%
Feinstein, CA, 57%

• GOP Sens. Gorton and Burns were among the most endangered incumbents, and Gorton's lost after a recount.