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Republicans sweep US House

Republicans take control over House of Representatives, while Democrats hold on to Senate majority.

Al Jazeera Last Modified: 03 Nov 2010 07:06 GMT
Opposition Republicans have scored major victories in the country's midterm elections by taking control over the House of Representatives from the Democrats and scoring impressive gains in the Senate, which delivered a stinging blow to Barack Obama's presidency.
On Tuesday, Republicans captured 57 seats formerly held by Democrats in the House, exceeding the 39 needed to gain a majority. Meanwhile, Democrats picked up only two seats from the conservative party.
Following the poll victory, Republican congressman John Bohner was designated to replace Nancy Pelosi as the speaker for the US House of Representatives.
He said the election results were a signal of a growing movement against the ruling administration inthe country.
"Across the country right now, we are witnessing a repudiation of Washington, a repudiation of big government, and a repudiation of politicians who refuse to listen to the people,'' Boehner said.
Senate pickups
Republicans have also made big gains in the Senate, capturing a net of six seats from Democrats. But the party fell short of the 10 needed to gain control of the upper legislative chamber.
Among the group of Senate victories stated by exit polls, Republican Dan Coats, a former ambassador to Germany, won an Indiana seat from the Democrats.
John Hoeven, North Dakota's Republican governor, is also said to have won the Senate race there, taking a Democratic seat.
Three-term Democrat Russ Feingold of Wisconsin is projected to have lost his Senate seat to Republican Ronald Johnson - a significant blow to the more liberal wing of the President's party.
John Boozman has unseated the Democratic candidate in Arkansas.
And Republican congressman Mark Kirk has narrowly defeated state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias to win the Illinois Senate seat, which was held by Obama before his 2008 presidential election.
But Democrats held on to their Senate majority by winning key races in Nevada, West Virginia, and California.
Democrats won the biggest single race in Nevada, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid defeating Sharron Angle, a favorite of the Republican 'tea party' movement.
To gain a majority in the Senate, Republicans had to pick up Democratic seats in California, Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Illinois as well as keep all of their current seats.
IN DEPTH Rand Paul, a Senate candidate backed by the conservative Tea Party movement, won in Kentucky.
NBC has also projected a victory for Republican Marco Rubio in Florida, but a loss by Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell in Delaware. And Fox News has projected a win by Democrat Richard Blumenthal in Connecticut.
Assessing the results
A Republican victory in either chamber would usher in a new era of divided government, complicate Obama's ability to enact his proposals during the next two years and possibly force him to fight off attacks on health care legislation and other bills already signed into law.
Though international affairs had little role in the campaign, Obama's global agenda also would be affected in areas such as arms control and climate change.
Before the first results came in, Washington already was buzzing with speculation about whether Republican gains would lead to gridlock or attempts to find common ground, and how they would affect Obama's prospects for re-election in 2012.
In addition to the congressional vote, Republicans were expected to make gains in the 37 governors' races and state legislature campaigns, both especially important as states conduct the once-a-decade task of redrawing congressional districts.
The elections were the biggest test yet for the Tea Party movement, an amorphous series of groups angered by what they see as the excessive growth of government. Among the Democrats at risk of falling to a Tea Party candidate was the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, in Nevada.
That race, along with Senate contests in Illinois, Colorado, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington state, were seen as toss-ups.
Midterm shift
A big Republican victory signals a stunning turnaround in American politics since Obama won the presidency two years ago campaigning on a message of hope and change.
Although the president was not on the ballot, Obama's presidency was at the heart of many campaigns. His popularity has fallen, and Republicans have capitalized on frustration with the weak economic recovery, high unemployment and rising federal deficit.
Four in 10 voters said they are worse off financially than they were two years ago, according to preliminary exit poll results and pre-election polls.
Those who cast ballots expressed dissatisfaction with Obama as well as the two political parties. Democrats blamed the policies of Obama's predecessor, Republican George W Bush, for the weak economy and said Obama's policies prevented a financial catastrophe.
It was difficult to campaign on the message that things could have been worse.
Independents and other voters who had supported Democrats in 2008 shifted to Republicans.
"I will honestly say that I voted for him two years ago," said Sally McCabe, of Plymouth, Minnesota. "And I want my vote back."
Obama gave a series of radio interviews pleading with Democratic supporters not to sit on the sidelines.
"I know things are still tough out there, but we finally have job growth again," he said in one.
All 435 seats in the House were on the ballot, plus 37 in the Senate.
Besides the gubernatorial and state legislative races, voters were considering ballot measures in 37 states, including a proposal in California to legalize recreational marijuana.
Despite the anti-establishment mood, most incumbents were expected to be re-elected. But 100 House races were seen as competitive, an astonishing number by American standards.
About half those seats were in districts Republicans lost to Democrats in 2006 and 2008.