UPDATE: 11-Seat Gain Gives GOP Some House Breathing Room

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota House Republicans will come into next year's legislative session with a majority and a tiny bit of breathing room.

Their victories Tuesday propelled the party to control and ended a short stint of one-party Democratic rule at the Capitol. Unofficial returns showed the GOP with 72 seats - four more than they needed for the majority.

Republicans protected all of their incumbents and open seats while turning over 11 districts that had been in Democratic hands. One race is headed to an automatic recount with the Democratic incumbent in the lead.

Members of the newly minted majority meet privately on Friday to designate a speaker. Current caucus leader Kurt Daudt of Crown is the only person to publicly throw his name into the speaker's race so far.