Heading into Election Night, Oregon was a state that we were watching closely.

A switch of just one seat would have left the Oregon House of Representatives tied and two seats would have given the Republicans control.

Tonight, Democrats have a lot to celebrate.

It looks like we've made a net gain of eight seats, which gives us a new super-majority in the lower chamber.

Earlier this year, I wrote about how Democrats in Wisconsin and Oklahoma are fighting for insurance coverage for autism.

In the Oregon House, Democratic Rep. Chris Edwards, a freshman, is also working hard on this issue. Edwards, whose young son has autism, has been chosen to lead an autism project work group in preparation for the 2009 session.

He was also a sponsor of a key health coverage bill during the 2007 session, HB 2918. This legislation prohibits a health plan from denying various therapies to children under 18 solely because of a developmental disorder like autism. The governor signed the bill on July 31, 2007.

The Eugene legislator is a member of the House’s Five Under 35 group which has established an ambitious legislative agenda that includes support for such key bills as the Family and Medical Leave measure (HB 2575) and the Protecting Children from Online Predators bill (HB 3515).

Edwards is a great example of how young Democratic lawmakers are energized and fighting for a strong legislative agenda for working families.

The legislative races in Oregon haven’t gotten a lot of attention because Democrats already control both chambers. That said, a switch of just one seat would leave the Oregon House of Representatives tied and two seats would give the Republicans control. The chamber is an important one to defend.

But there’s a real chance we might be able to do more than that on Election Day.

Leaders in the state are looking to pick up as many as 5 seats. That in turn would give Democrats a super-majority, allowing us to pass legislation without the support of even a single Republican.

Even as we fight for chamber control around the country, it’s important to remember states like this one.

A super-majority would guarantee that a Democratic agenda for governing gets serious traction next session, and that’s a goal worth fighting for.