Rep. Bachmann narrowly defeats challenger Graves to retain Minnesota House seat

FILE: Oct. 16, 2012: Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. talks at a medical device roundtable event at Rasmussen College, in Blaine, Minn.

MINNEAPOLIS – Republican and tea party favorite Michele Bachmann has beaten Democratic hotelier Jim Graves to win her fourth term in Congress.

Bachmann cements her hold on a district that became more Republican under new political boundaries this year.

Graves was seeking to persuade voters to choose a successful businessman rather than Bachmann and her controversial national profile. Bachmann was running to keep her political home after an unsuccessful bid for president last year.

The race was hugely expensive as Bachmann fell back on a fundraising machine that drew from her national following.