As with any election, there are upsets, setbacks and sometimes just plan crazy stuff on election day. In south Rocky Mount, a voting machine broke down which caused hic-ups for the voters standing in line patiently waiting to exercise their right to vote.

In Red Oak, two precincts ran out of ballots and voters were told to go home and come back, this according to Nash County Commissioner, Mary Well, who won tonight by 16 votes over Doug Star.

In the much heated and much debated NC Senate race between Buck Newton and A. B. Swindell, Newton declared victory tonight. 

Renee Ellmers declared victory over Democratic Bob Etheridge. Etheridge told the associated press that he was not ready to concede, but would let the election process take it’s logical course of action, to make certain every vote was counted.

But, the “buzz” of the night and the bright spot for local Dems was the election of Calvin Woodard as the first Black Sheriff of Wilson County.  Woodard said he felt good, thankful and relieved that tonight brought closure to his 24 month campaign.

Democrats Jean Farmer-Butterfield and  Joe Tolson will return to the NC House as well as Angela Bryant, who ran unopposed.

U.S. Rep. G. K. Butterfield handily defeated Ashley Woolard to return to Washington.

All in all, a mixed bag of candidate wins and loses that will surely lead to a early and heated road to 2012.  Dems will take heart that with the current wave to dissatisfaction and misguided Tea Party support, the outcomes could have been much worse.

Republicans will (and have) declared this election a “mandate” for the people and for the Republican agenda.

Pundits will, for the next few day, analyze the election ad nauseam.  But, for most of us, it’s back to the grindstone and back to our daily lives.

There are lots of back stories, most will come in the next few day.  But, for now we can all agree to take a breath and not be afraid to turn on the TV or open our mailbox without getting inundated with political ads.