Americans vote against Obama's party, Republicans take House

Dealing a body blow to President Barack Obama, US voters frustrated over his economic policies today delivered a stunning defeat to his Democratic Party handing control of the House of Representatives to opposition Republicans, who also made big gains in the powerful Senate.

 

Days before his maiden visit to India, Obama tasted defeat at the US mid-term polls, seen as a referendum on his economic policies, that had promised recovery to the recession-hit American economy.

 

The Democrats managed to maintain their hold in the Senate but with reduced majority.

 

Millions of Americans voted yesterday for all the 435 seats in the House of Representatives; 37 of the 100 Senate seats, 37 State Governors, besides a large number of State and local elections.

 

In the House of Representatives, the Democratic Party, before the polls, had 235 seats, while the Republicans had 178, with two vacancies. In the 100-member Senate, the Democrats had 59 seats, while the Republicans had 41.

 

While many results of the polls were still awaited, the Republicans were projected to get 230 seats in the House of Representatives, a gain of as many as 57 seats; while Democrats' tally was projected to reduce drastically to 164.

 

In the 100-seat Senate, the Democrats managed to retain control with 51 seats, with Republicans closing the gap with 46 seats as they gained six Senate seats from the Democrats.

 

In the elections held for governorship in 37 States, Democrats could win 14, losing nine of them; while the Republicans entered the Governor's mansions in 27 States, including in South Carolina where Indian-American Nikki Haley emerged victorious, gaining eight States.

 

Thirty eight-year-old Haley scripted history by becoming only the second person of Indian-origin to be a governor of an American state after Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. Haley received 52% of votes against her Democratic rival Vincent Sheehan who polled 46%.

 

Six other Indian-origin candidates in the fray for the House seats suffered defeats in the polls.

 

As the election results became clear, Obama phoned Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and the likely new House speaker John Boehner.

 

They had a brief but pleasant conversation, according to Boehner's aides. They also discussed working together to focus on top priorities of the American people, which Boehner has identified as creating jobs and cutting spending. Boehner thanked the president for the call.

 

Obama, who is to embark on a 10-day four-nation Asia tour beginning with India from November 6, also called the current House Democratic leadership, speaker Nancy Pelosi and majority leader Steny Hoyer.

 

The White House said Obama told the Republicans that he is looking forward to working with them "to find common ground, move the country forward and get things done for the American people."

 

In one of the biggest losses for Democrats, the House Budget Committee chairman John Spratt was defeated in South Carolina and Armed Services Committee chairman Ike Skelton, a 17-term incumbent, also had to bite the dust in the polls.

 

Obama's party, however, managed to retain the Senate majority. Senate majority leader Harry Reid and senior party Senator from California Barbara Boxer won in a tough contest.

 

Republicans defeated Senators Russ Feingold in Wisconsin and Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas.

 

They also won the Illinois Senate seat, which was once held by Obama, in what is being seen as a symbolic defeat for the president.

 

"The outcome of the election does not diminish the work we have done for the American people. We must all strive to find common ground to support the middle class, create jobs, reduce the deficit and move our nation forward," outgoing House speaker Pelosi said in a statement.

 

Boehner, who is expected to succeed Pelosi, proclaimed the midterm elections "a repudiation of Washington" and said voters had sent a message to President Obama to "change course."

"Across the country right now we're witnessing a repudiation of Washington, a repudiation of big government and a repudiation of politicians who refuse to listen to the American people," Boehner said.