The Republicans have won control of the Senate in the US mid-term elections, increasing their power in the final two years of Barack Obama’s presidency.
The party won in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia.
And it is expected to post more gains as votes are counted in other states.
Mitch McConnell, Republican Senator poised to lead the chamber, said the result was a vote against “a government that people can no longer trust.”
The elections are seen as a referendum on the policies of President Barack Obama, and the win for the Republicans will likely complicate his final two years in office.
Millions headed to the polling stations on Tuesday to elect 36 senators, 36 governors and all 435 members of the House of Representatives.
While Obama’s name is not on the ballot, the campaigns have been influenced by his low job-approval rating, partisan gridlock in Washington and a US economy that is widely seen as not growing enough to help many in the middle classes.
Seizing the Senate would give Republicans complete control of both chambers of Congress, complicating Obama’s last two years in office.
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