US Midterms: Republicans Take Over Senate

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Video: Republicans Close On Win In US Vote

By Sky News US Team

The US Republicans have swept to power in both house of Congress for the first time in eight years in midterm elections shaped by President Barack Obama's unpopularity.

Results continue to trickle in across the US, but the conservatives took control of the Senate by snatching seven of the six seats they needed from Democrats: West Virginia, Arkansas, South Dakota, Montana, Colorado, North Carolina and Iowa.

The Democrats were still battling to hold on to Senate seats in Alaska, Louisiana and Virginia.

The Republicans successfully defended Senate seats in Georgia, Kentucky and Kansas.

Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, who cruised to re-election, will become the new leader of the Senate.

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Gallery: Midterms: Election Day In America

Americans have been voting in the US midterm elections

Voters line up early in North Carolina

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Kentucky Senate candidate Mitch McConnell is photobombed in a voting booth

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Elections judge Constance Rolon, 96, hands out "I Voted!" stickers in Denver, Colorado

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He told cheering supporters as he captured a sixth term: "It's time to go in a new direction! It's time to turn this country around!"

Republicans, who already control the House of Representatives, were widely expected to pad their majority in that chamber, too.

Overall on Tuesday, 36 of the 100 Senate seats, all 435 House districts and 36 of 50 governors' seats were up for grabs.

In the gubernatorial races Republicans managed to fend off a string of stiff challenges from Democrats.

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Georgia's Nathan Deal defeated former President Jimmy Carter's grandson, potential 2016 presidential hopeful Scott Walker won a tight race in Wisconsin and Rick Scott was triumphant in Florida.

The conservatives also snatched the keys to the governor's mansion from a Democrat in President Obama's home state of Illinois.

The few consolations for Democrats included wins in New Hampshire's Senate race and Pennsylvania's gubernatorial contest.

President Obama, who was shunned by many Democrats on the campaign trail because of his low approval rating, had not sounded optimistic about his party's chances.

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Earlier, he told WNPR in Hartford, Connecticut: "In this election cycle, this is probably the worst possible group of states for Democrats since Dwight Eisenhower (the 1950s Republican president)."

Exit polls showed most of the Americans voting on Tuesday were unhappy or even angry with the Obama administration. There was also criticism of Republican congressional leaders.

The Republican takeover means President Obama has even less hope of passing bills for his remaining two years in office.

He is also likely to face pressure to overhaul his White House team.

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But even with control of the Senate, the Republicans do not have the 60-vote super-majority needed to pass major legislation.

A difficult election had been expected for President Obama's allies: governing parties tend to lose seats in midterm votes and many Democrats were defending seats in states that lean Republican.

Congressional races alone cost almost $4bn (£2.5bn), an unprecedented sum for a non-presidential year election.

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Muke Nyerate