Democrats take over senate

2006-11-09 21:23

Alexandria - Republican senator George Allen conceded defeat on Thursday in his re-election bid, sealing the Democrats' takeover of the senate and concluding a dramatic fall for a one-time top-tier presidential contender, a close adviser to the Republican said.

The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity because Allen's campaign had not yet publicly confirmed his intentions.

Democrat Jim Webb claimed victory after election returns early on Wednesday morning showed him with a narrow lead.

Allen chose not to demand a recount after initial canvassing of Tuesday's results failed to significantly alter Webb's lead of about 7 200 votes out of 2.37 million ballots cast.

The results will not be official until they are certified by the state board of elections on November 27.

- AP