Democrats gain grip on Senate

Kerry Sheridan

Washington - With three key wins, Democrats were on track to expand their control of the US Senate as high voter turnout, economic woes and disdain with Republican policies fuelled early victories in key races on Tuesday.

The Democrats picked up Senate seats in the traditionally Republican state of Virginia, followed by projected wins in New Hampshire and North Carolina, giving them an expected 52 seats and the solid upper hand in the legislative body.

Prior to Tuesday's vote, Democrats held 49 seats in the 100-member Senate but enjoyed a relative majority thanks to the support of two independents.

Polls have shown Democrats with an edge in several tight races for the Senate and House of Representatives, feeding optimism in the party for a slew of new seats and a surge of political power, particularly combined with the strong chances of Democrat Barack Obama winning the White House.

What remains uncertain is whether Democrats will be able to attain a "filibuster-proof" majority in the Senate, by winning the magic number of 60 of the 100 seats that could ward off Republican delaying tactics.

The first win of the evening went to Democrat Mark Warner in Virginia, who was elected to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Republican John Warner, who is of no relation.

Tense race

Pre-vote polls had shown Warner with a significant lead over the veteran Republican, and in the northern US state of New Hampshire, Democrat Jeanne Shaheen unseated Republican John Sununu after polls gave her a solid lead.

North Carolina tipped to Democrat Kay Hagan after a tense race with incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole, whose campaign faces a defamation lawsuit over an ad it ran linking Hagan to "Godless Americans", an atheist political action committee.

Republicans lost control of the Senate and House in 2006, and are bracing for further losses amid a public backlash over the widening financial crisis and discontent with outgoing President George W Bush.

Approval ratings for Congress have sunk to historic lows - just 15% according to a recent CBS poll - but voters blame the Republican administration for the financial crisis, despite the Democratic majority among lawmakers.

Republicans have argued that if a Democrat wins the White House and more Democrats pour into the House and Senate, liberal policies will be allowed to go unchecked.

Polls suggest Democrats are expected to edge out their rivals in Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, New Jersey and New Mexico.

Higher chances of winning

Other races are still too close to call, including Minnesota where comedian Al Franken is aiming to wrest the Senate seat from Republican Norm Coleman in one of the costliest races in the country - with more than $32m raised for the campaigns.

Senate races in Georgia, Kentucky, and Oregon are also closely fought. In Kentucky, early polls showed Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell with 50% of the vote.

In another tight race, Democrats in Alaska aimed to take advantage of veteran Republican Senator Ted Steven's guilty verdict in a corruption trial last month. However, incumbents traditionally have higher chances of winning re-election than newcomers.

In the House of Representatives, Democrats can expect to add as many as two dozen seats to their majority of 36 in the 435-member chamber, according to political analysts.

Democrats currently hold 235 seats in the House, while Republicans have 199. One seat is vacant. In the last election in 2006, Democrats gained 30 seats in the House and six in the Senate.

- SAPA