Even after the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) poured nearly $90,000 into his campaign, Republican candidate Stephen Burgmeier still managed to lose in a close race to Democrat Curt Hanson in a special election for an Iowa house seat yesterday.

Democratic candidate Curt Hanson, a retired schoolteacher, won against GOP candidate and Jefferson County Supervisor Stephen Burgmeier by 3,932 to 3,825 votes, according to unofficial tallies.

“We predicted it would be a close race and it was,” Hanson said of his 107-vote victory. “I think what surprised me was the total state attention and, perhaps, even national.”

Republicans acknowledge the loss was unsettling, but said the closeness of the race means that their future is bright and that they will gain ground in next year’s House, Senate and gubernatorial races.

Too bad for NOM. Now they have less money to launder up in Maine… The hits just keep on coming.