Some tight Minnesota districts must now ask: How close is 'too close to call?'

(KMSP) - In close races, recounts are sometimes necessary, which could be the case for a few Minnesota races, including one that was decided by just eight votes. 

Two districts flipped from blue to red Tuesday. In District 8, Republican Pete Stauber defeated Democrat Joe Radinovich. He will succeed retiring DFLer Rick Nolan.

District 1 was another win for Republicans as Jim Hagedorn narrowly beat Democrat Dan Feehan with just over 1,300 votes.

Hagedron says people in the Southern Minnesota district lines up more with Republicans than ever before. That razor thin race in the First was one of several close races.

There were also four tight races in the Minnesota House and one of them may actually qualify for recounts.

In House District 5A in Bemidji, Democrat John Persell has defeated Republican incumbent Matt Bliss by just eight votes.

In Chaska’s House District 47B Republican Greg Boe beat Democrat Donzell Leggett by just 117 votes.

Similarly, in Stillwater’s House seat 39B, Democrat Shell Christensen upset Republican incumbent Kathy Lohmer by 137 votes.

By state law, state-funded recounts for the state legislature can only take place if the vote margin is less than a half of a percent.

Under those rules only the races in Bemidji and the race in Cottage Grove actually qualify.

Federal races face an even tighter threshold.

In the First Congressional District race between Dan Feehan and Jim Hagedorn, the vote difference must be less than a quarter of a percentage point to qualify for a taxpayer funded recount.

The 1,300-vote difference in this race does not qualify, but in the tighter Minnesota House races, it shows how often every votes does in fact count.

The recounts cannot be requested until after the state canvasing board meets to certify the vote Nov. 27.