The Republican Tim Burns has conceded.
Democrat Mark Critz is an asshole Dem, and will be among the worst of the Blue Dogs. So why is it good that he won?
Because this was seen as a must-win for both parties. The (bullshit) CW was that if Critz lost, the Dems would lose Congress. This is, indeed, the only district in the entire country that Kerry won in 2004, and McCain won in 2008. In other words, the lowest of the low-hanging fruit, and a district that HATES the health care reform law.
None of that mattered. Dems held the seat easily despite an early and massive Burns polling advantage.
This is yet another sign tonight that Dems have righted their ship, and while things may not be fantastic for them, the once-expected GOP landslide will have a hard time materializing.
Had Burns won, we would've never heard the end of it
Update: From the comments, this is the sort of CW I was talking about:
"In some ways, PA-12 seems to be a must-win for Republicans. After all, if they can't win the only district in the country that voted for both John Kerry and John McCain, what does it say about their ability to win other GOP-tilting seats this fall?" said Amy Walters, editor-in-chief of National Journal's The Hotline.