Congressmen-elect Patrick Murphy & Ami Bera

It's over, folks: The AP has officially called the race for Democrat Ami Bera in California's 7th Congressional District. With Thursday's vote tally update, Bera now leads GOP Rep. Dan Lungren by 5,696 , an insurmountable gap given how few votes (likely under 25,000) remain to be counted.

This is a tremendous win for Democrats in this blue-trending seat in the Sacramento area. It's also a huge win for Daily Kos, which endorsed Bera, a physician with strong progressive credentials. A big thanks is owed to everyone who donated to Bera when this race went into overtime, helping to ensure that all votes were properly counted. And a huge congratulations to Congressman-elect Bera!

P.S. In the photo at right, Bera is pictured with another soon-to-be member of Congress, Patrick Murphy, as the two are both currently attending freshman orientation at the Capitol. As you may know, Murphy's also locked in an overtime battle against Tea Party Rep. Allen West. Though West trails by some 2,000 votes, he's dragged the case into court and a new hearing is scheduled for Friday. Murphy's racking up serious legal bills, and we're determined to make sure he emerges victorious, so please chip in so that Murphy can join Bera in DC when the 113th Congress convenes in January.