Republicans brought President Barack Obama’s ambitious agenda to a halt on Tuesday night, taking control of the House of Representatives with a thumping victory and heavily reducing the Democratic majority in the Senate.
Voters across the country sent a sharp rebuke to Mr Obama and his party in midterm Congressional elections, with more than 80 per cent citing the direction the economy as their primary concern, according to exit polls.
However, Democrats received some early good news from West Virginia, where Joe Manchin won the race for the Senate seat vacated by the death of Robert Byrd, edging out his Republican rival, John Raese of the Tea Party.