Snapshot of the election: Iowa, Maine, DC, OKC, South Dakota, South Carolina, Alabama

In case you missed these stories:

ALABAMA: Across the nation last Tuesday, the political stats for conservatives read like a fantasy dream team: a more than 60-seat Republican gain in the U.S. Congress. Eleven newly minted Republican governors (and that many more potential Republican presidents). And finally, 680 GOP gains in state legislatures, for the greatest state-level control since 1928.

But one of the most remarkable – and promising – victories of this election went mostly unmarked. While pundits dissected Nikki Haley's win and Marco Rubio's triumph, elsewhere in the South one of the greatest Republican upsets in the history of the party was taking place – in Alabama.

Tradition, dating back to the Civil War, has long held sway here, and thus the Democratic Party has too (Republicans being none too popular in the wake of Reconstruction). But days before the November 2nd elections, Republicans, Tea Partiers, and the generally fed-up, gathered for a "Sweep out the Democrats" rally near Huntsville, the state's technology capital. By the time voters put down their brooms and watched the dust settle, they'd swept out more liberals than most had dared to dream. Of the seven U.S. House seats Alabama holds, only one remained Democratic.

IOWA: Three Iowa Supreme Court justices lost their seats Tuesday in a historic upset fueled by their 2009 decision that allowed same-sex couples to marry. Vote totals from 96 percent of Iowa's 1,774 precincts showed Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and Justices David Baker and Michael Streit with less than the simple majority needed to stay on the bench. Their removal marked the first time an Iowa Supreme Court justice has not been retained since 1962, when the merit selection and retention system for judges was adopted.

AUGUSTA, MAINE: Hundreds of excited Republicans rallied in the State House this morning to celebrate what appears to be the GOP takeover of the governor’s office, House of Representatives and Senate. “We had a pretty good night,” said Rep. Josh Tardy, R-Newport, the outgoing House minority leader. “I’m proud to say Republicans have been ready for this for quite some time.”

WASHINGTON DC: Neither rookies nor seasoned veterans were spared in Tuesday's House Democratic bloodbath, which saw Republicans defeat three major committee chairmen and at least seven lawmakers who claimed 20 years' seniority or more in Congress.

While the losses of 16 freshmen "Obama babies" — those elected during the president's 2008 sweep — were expected, the number of long-serving Democrats who lost re-election this week is staggering, and suggests a widespread dissatisfaction with Washington.

All told, with about a dozen races still uncalled, Democrats have shed 376 years of congressional experience, and that could go as high as 430 years if five other Democrats lose races in which returns show they are trailing.

OKLAHOMA CITY: Oklahoma voters have approved a measure that would forbid judges from considering international law or Islamic law when deciding cases. Republican Rex Duncan, the sponsor of the measure, called it a "pre-emptive strike" designed to close the door on activist judges "legislating from the bench or using international law or Sharia law."

This measure, agreed to by 70% of Oklahoma voters, is being challenged as unconstitutional. Really.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Wave carries Kristi Noem in South Dakota. "Now make no mistake," Noem told supporters. "I think we need a strong dose of fiscal conservatism in Washington, D.C." In an interview early this morning, Noem said "I think my message resonated with the people, and I think because I run a lot of small businesses and farm, that meant a lot to people."  "I also think they were frustrated with the way things were run in Washington, D.C., with the Democrats in charge."

SOUTH CAROLINA'S JIM DEMINT: WE'LL BAN EARMARKS RIGHT AWAY: With their sweeping electoral victory in hand, Republicans are committed to ending earmarks - the local-project riders to legislation - and focusing on the big national issues, a top Senate Republican said Wednesday. "We can't have 500 congressmen and senators who think it's their job to bring home the bacon - and that's what's going to change," South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint told CBS' "The Early Show.

"One of the first thing we'll do in the House and Senate is ban earmarks as Republicans - that'll get our eyes back on fixing our tax code, fixing social security and Medicare, getting America back to work."
DeMint called earmarks "that parochial interest I think gets that the focus of interest off national interests onto paving local parking lots." He said in an editorial Tuesday that the dozens of GOP congressional newcomers "can't be bribed if they're not for sale."