The Hindu : Front Page : Democrats win majority in U.S. Senate

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Friday, Nov 10, 2006
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Democrats win majority in U.S. Senate

Virginia victory completes sweep

WASHINGTON: In a rout once considered almost inconceivable, Democrats in the United States won a 51st seat in the Senate and regained total control of Congress after 12 years of near-domination by the Republican Party.

The shift dramatically alters the Government's balance of power, leaving President George W. Bush without Republican congressional control to drive his legislative agenda.

Democrats hailed the election results, issued calls for bipartisanship and vowed to investigate administration policies and decisions.

Democrats completed their sweep on Wednesday evening by ousting Republican Senator George Allen of Virginia, the last of six Republican incumbents to lose re-election bids in a midterm election marked by deep dissatisfaction with the President and the war in Iraq. Mr. Allen lost to Democrat Jim Webb, a former Republican who served as Navy Secretary in President Ronald Reagan's administration.

Democrats had 230 seats in the House, 12 more than the number necessary to hold the barest of majorities in the 435-member chamber.

``In Iraq and here at home, Americans have made clear they are tired of the failures of the last six years,'' said Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democrat in line to become Senate Majority leader when Congress reconvenes in January.

As watershed elections go, this one rivalled the Republican takeover in 1994, which made Newt Gingrich Speaker of the House, the first Republican to run the House since the 1950's President Eisenhower administration. This time the shift comes in the midst of an unpopular war, a Congress scarred by scandal and just two years from a wide-open presidential contest. Allen lost to Democrat Jim Webb, a former Republican who served as Navy Secretary in President Ronald Reagan's administration. A count by The Associated Press showed Webb with 1,172,538 votes and Allen with 1,165,302, a difference of 7,236. Allen was awaiting the result statewide post-election canvass of votes and did not concede the race. Democrats will have nine new senators on their side of the aisle as a result of Tuesday's balloting.

Six of them defeated sitting Republican senators from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Rhode Island, Montana and Virginia. — AP

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