Republicans cruised to victory in US midterm elections, gaining control of both houses of Congress in a stinging setback for President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats, ensuring fractious co-existence in the last two years of his presidency.
The Republicans padded their control of the House of Representatives by at least 12 seats, and in the big prize of Tuesday’s midterm election they retook the Senate.
The Democratic implosion put the Republicans in position to shape if not dictate the congressional agenda, and their priorities are likely to focus on the economy. Many pro-growth laws are ready for approval, such as authorisation for the Keystone XL oil pipeline running from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, boosting production of natural gas, helping small businesses and cutting back on government regulations.
The Republicans rode a wave of voter frustration with Washington incumbents and unpopular policies of the Obama administration to claim total congressional control for the first time since 2006.
The new legislature will take power in January.
The new Republican margin of control in the House, with a cushion of at least 12 seats, takes them close to achieving or surpassing their largest majority of the post-World War 2 era.
They will go from 45 to at least 52 seats in the 100-member Senate.
“This experiment in big government has lasted long enough. It’s time to go in a new direction,” boomed Mitch McConnell, the top Senate Republican who defeated the toughest challenge to his Kentucky seat in 30 years, in his victory speech.
But he added that while he and the president rarely saw eye to eye, “we do have an obligation to work together on issues where we can agree”.
Republicans have held the 435-seat House of Representatives since 2010, and they kept it safely in hand on Tuesday.
Compounding Democratic woes, projections showed the Republicans could gain as many as 18 House seats, giving them their largest majority since 1946.
Republicans also cleaned up in key governors’ races, earning re-election in Florida, Wisconsin and Kansas and stunning Democrats by winning in Democratic strongholds Maryland and Massachusetts.
Of the 36 governors’ races, probably the most painful for Obama was Illinois, where Republican Bruce Rauner ousted Democrat Pat Quinn in the president’s home state.
Democrats worked feverishly to draw voters to the polls, but it was not enough to halt the Republican juggernaut. With no legislative base in Congress, Obama will struggle to pass any reforms in the final stretch of his mandate, and his opponents will be able to thwart his appointments to judicial and official posts.
The party of an incumbent president historically fares badly in elections in his second term, and every president since Ronald Reagan has left office with the opposition controlling Congress.
The Republicans, capitalising on the nation’s sour mood despite an economic recovery, essentially based their campaigns on attacks against Obama and policies like his troubled healthcare reform.
“It was a powerful repudiation of the Obama agenda,” conservative Senator Ted Cruz said. But he repeated what many in his party have urged, that the onus is now on Republicans to govern, particularly in the run-up to the 2016 presidential race.
“It’s time for government to start getting results and implementing solutions to the challenges facing our country, starting with our still-struggling economy,” House speaker John Boehner said.
While Republicans are likely to cooperate on issues like tax reform, the party will seek to breathe life into their stalled jobs bills, gain approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, and tweak Obamacare.
Election night was ugly from the get-go for Obama’s party.
Democrats including Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Mark Udall of Colorado fell like dominoes as Republicans capitalised on a particularly strong set of candidates, including Arkansas’ Tom Cotton and Colorado’s Cory Gardner, who convinced voters they would be better off with leaders not loyal to an unpopular president.
Conservative Joni Ernst won in Iowa, becoming the state’s first female senator.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire held her seat, but that was the only good news for Democrats, as Republicans fended off challenges in the strongholds of Georgia, Kansas and Kentucky.
The onslaught could well deepen for Democrats, with an unexpected cliffhanger remaining in Virginia, Alaska up in the air and Louisiana Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu forced into an unfavourable December 6 runoff.
The Republican performance surpassed most expectations. University of Michigan assistant professor Michael Heaney said: “They’ve done this about as well as they could conceivably have done it.”
A chastened Obama has invited the four congressional leaders to the White House tomorrow.
Republicans romp to victory in midterms
The Republicans padded their control of the House of Representatives by at least 12 seats, and in the big prize of Tuesday’s midterm election they retook the Senate.
The Democratic implosion put the Republicans in position to shape if not dictate the congressional agenda, and their priorities are likely to focus on the economy. Many pro-growth laws are ready for approval, such as authorisation for the Keystone XL oil pipeline running from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, boosting production of natural gas, helping small businesses and cutting back on government regulations.
The Republicans rode a wave of voter frustration with Washington incumbents and unpopular policies of the Obama administration to claim total congressional control for the first time since 2006.
The new legislature will take power in January.
The new Republican margin of control in the House, with a cushion of at least 12 seats, takes them close to achieving or surpassing their largest majority of the post-World War 2 era.
They will go from 45 to at least 52 seats in the 100-member Senate.
“This experiment in big government has lasted long enough. It’s time to go in a new direction,” boomed Mitch McConnell, the top Senate Republican who defeated the toughest challenge to his Kentucky seat in 30 years, in his victory speech.
But he added that while he and the president rarely saw eye to eye, “we do have an obligation to work together on issues where we can agree”.
Republicans have held the 435-seat House of Representatives since 2010, and they kept it safely in hand on Tuesday.
Compounding Democratic woes, projections showed the Republicans could gain as many as 18 House seats, giving them their largest majority since 1946.
Republicans also cleaned up in key governors’ races, earning re-election in Florida, Wisconsin and Kansas and stunning Democrats by winning in Democratic strongholds Maryland and Massachusetts.
Of the 36 governors’ races, probably the most painful for Obama was Illinois, where Republican Bruce Rauner ousted Democrat Pat Quinn in the president’s home state.
Democrats worked feverishly to draw voters to the polls, but it was not enough to halt the Republican juggernaut. With no legislative base in Congress, Obama will struggle to pass any reforms in the final stretch of his mandate, and his opponents will be able to thwart his appointments to judicial and official posts.
The party of an incumbent president historically fares badly in elections in his second term, and every president since Ronald Reagan has left office with the opposition controlling Congress.
The Republicans, capitalising on the nation’s sour mood despite an economic recovery, essentially based their campaigns on attacks against Obama and policies like his troubled healthcare reform.
“It was a powerful repudiation of the Obama agenda,” conservative Senator Ted Cruz said. But he repeated what many in his party have urged, that the onus is now on Republicans to govern, particularly in the run-up to the 2016 presidential race.
“It’s time for government to start getting results and implementing solutions to the challenges facing our country, starting with our still-struggling economy,” House speaker John Boehner said.
While Republicans are likely to cooperate on issues like tax reform, the party will seek to breathe life into their stalled jobs bills, gain approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, and tweak Obamacare.
Election night was ugly from the get-go for Obama’s party.
Democrats including Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Mark Udall of Colorado fell like dominoes as Republicans capitalised on a particularly strong set of candidates, including Arkansas’ Tom Cotton and Colorado’s Cory Gardner, who convinced voters they would be better off with leaders not loyal to an unpopular president.
Conservative Joni Ernst won in Iowa, becoming the state’s first female senator.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire held her seat, but that was the only good news for Democrats, as Republicans fended off challenges in the strongholds of Georgia, Kansas and Kentucky.
The onslaught could well deepen for Democrats, with an unexpected cliffhanger remaining in Virginia, Alaska up in the air and Louisiana Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu forced into an unfavourable December 6 runoff.
The Republican performance surpassed most expectations. University of Michigan assistant professor Michael Heaney said: “They’ve done this about as well as they could conceivably have done it.”
A chastened Obama has invited the four congressional leaders to the White House tomorrow.
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