Just heard on the news that the Democrats in the US have won an important victory in the mid-term elections. So far they have won 28 (?) seats (they needed 15 AFAIK to gain) - there are 2 states left to be counted.
Ah I see, so they have won control of the House of Representatives but not the Senate.
Democrats seize control of House
Guests cheer as early election results are announced at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee election night party in Washington
The Democrats are celebrating gains in the House and Senate
The Democratic Party has won control of the House of Representatives in the US mid-term elections.
The White House conceded the Democrats had picked up the 15 net seats needed to wrest power from the Republicans for the first time in 12 years.
The Democrats are also projected to have won four of six target Senate seats - but overall control of the upper house remains too close to call.
Polls have now closed across the US, with high turnout reported.
Correspondents say the Democrat gains reflect voter discontent with the war in Iraq and Republican President George W Bush.
Map graphic
Tonight, we made history
Keith Ellison
First Muslim congressman
Map: State-by-state results
In quotes: Results
The BBC's Jamie Coomarasamy in Washington says the results have changed the political landscape in the US, and the last two years of the Bush presidency will be very different from what has gone before.
With projected results still coming through, the Democrats had gained 16 House seats from the Republicans - enough to win control providing they hold their existing seats.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said the American people had "voted for Democrats to take our country in a new direction - and that is exactly what we intend to do".
Nancy Pelosi addresses the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee election night party in Washington
Profile: Nancy Pelosi
Reporters' blog: Live updates
Ms Pelosi - who stands to become the first female House speaker - said the Democrats would "restore integrity and honesty" to Washington and lead the "most ethical Congress in history".
Presidential spokesman Tony Snow said the White House had admitted defeat in the House.
"We believe Democrats will have control of the House, and look forward to working with Democratic leaders on the issues that remain foremost on the agenda, including winning the war in Iraq and the broader war on terror and keeping the economy on a growth path," he said.
Mr Bush has scheduled a news conference for later on Wednesday.
The speech will provide the first clue as to whether Mr Bush intends to compromise with his newly powerful opponents or fight them, the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says.
Analysts say control of the House will allow Democrats to choose to launch inquiries into the handling of Iraq, and could lead to significant changes on domestic issues like taxation and health care.
Senate gains
Democratic hopes have been bolstered by wins bringing them closer to their target of six net Senate seats. However, Montana and Virginia remain too close to call.
The Senate race in Virginia, where Democrat Jim Webb is challenging incumbent George Allen, is likely to go to a full recount, correspondents say
House speaker Dennis Hastert
It's been kind of tough out there
House speaker Dennis Hastert
In pictures: US mid-terms
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The race remained neck-and-neck after Bob Corker held on to the Republicans' Senate seat in Tennessee, despite a strong challenge from Harold Ford Jr.
In other results:
* In Pennsylvania, Democrat Bob Casey Jr beat one of his party's biggest Republican targets this year, arch-conservative incumbent Rick Santorum
* In Ohio, where the Republican Party has been hit by scandal, Democrat Sherrod Brown won a decisive victory over incumbent Republican Mike DeWine
* The Senate seat in Rhode Island went to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse after a closely-fought battle with incumbent Republican Lincoln Chafee
* In New Jersey, Democrat incumbent Senator Bob Menendez succeeded in holding off a strong challenge from the Republicans' Thomas Kean. The race had been seen as the Republicans' best chance of picking up a seat from their rivals
* The Senate seat in Connecticut has gone to Joe Lieberman, who stood as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Ned Lamont amid strong anti-war feeling. He has said he will align himself with the Democrats
* Democrat Keith Ellison was elected as the nation's first Muslim member of Congress, taking a House seat in Minnesota
* Republicans lost the Florida district of Mark Foley, who resigned after the disclosure that he sent sexually explicit messages to teenage male congressional assistants.
"It's been kind of tough out there," said Republican House speaker Dennis Hastert, who won a 11th two-year term.
While Mr Hastert won his district, he will lose his job as speaker after the Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives.
SENATE RACE
DEMOCRAT GAINS:
McCaskill takes Missouri
Casey gains Pennsylvania
Brown gains Ohio
Whitehouse gains Rhode Island
RESULTS TO COME:
Montana
Virginia
Voters are also choosing governors in 36 states.
Democrat Deval Patrick has taken the governorship in Massachusetts, becoming the first black governor of the state and only the second elected black governor of any state.
In some good news for the Republicans, Arnold Schwarzenegger has held on to his gubernatorial seat in California for a second term.
And in one of a series of state referendums, voters in South Dakota have overturned a near-total ban on abortions passed by the state legislature earlier this year.
Iraq 'important'
Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton - who cast her vote alongside former President Bill Clinton - has strolled to re-election in New York, as expected. Her win opens the way for a potential presidential run in 2008.
In her acceptance speech, she said she was ready to "roll up my sleeves and get to work" in creating a "new beginning" for the country.
A national exit poll for the Associated Press indicated that about two-thirds of people felt Iraq was very important to their vote.
BALANCE OF CONGRESS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
435 seats - all being contested
Republicans hold 229 seats; Democrats 201; one seat independent; four vacant seats
Democrats need to win net 15 seats to win control of House
SENATE:
100 seats - 33 being contested
Republicans hold 55 seats; Democrats 44; one independent
Democrats need to win net six seats to win control of Senate
Q&A: US mid-terms
Voting machine problems
Yet even more voters - about 80% - said the economy, government corruption and scandal were very important to their votes, the survey of 8,344 voters said.
Technical hitches delayed voting in dozens of precincts in Indiana and Ohio.
Officials extended polling hours in six states because of problems with electronic voting machines.
The new voting technology was brought in to replace older systems, such as the punch-card machines which were at the centre of the Florida dispute during the 2000 presidential election.
In Virginia, election officials told ABC News the FBI was investigating claims of voter intimidation.
