Former U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez added another House seat to the Dem column last night, knocking off seven-term GOP Rep. Henry Bonilla in a runoff that decided control of Texas' final seat. Though the runoff was triggered by a general election in which neither candidate broke 50 percent, yesterday's contest wasn't even close: With 94 percent of precincts reporting, Rodriguez was leading Ciro 55%-45%, the Associated Press is reporting.

Dems were relishing the Rodriguez victory, because it represented another defeat for the machine created by Tom DeLay. The former Texas GOP Rep. redistricted Texas in 2003, leading to big gains for Republicans in the state, but parts of his redistricting were struck down by the Supreme Court last Spring. The Court's changes put many Latinos back into the 23rd District, helping Rodriguez win.

What's more, national Dem strategists were rewarded for bettting big on the race, spending more than $870,000 to offset Bonilla's big lead in fundraising. And in the campaign's final days, Bill Clinton paid a visit to the district. The victory brings the Dems' pickup in the House to a total of 30 seats.