Republicans lose presidency, but win in governorships

Democrat Barak Obama has won the US presidency, defeating Republican candidate Mitt Romney, but the Republicans are not without their consolation prizes. Among them is that Republicans now govern as many as 30 states – more than they have in a decade – after wresting the North Carolina governor's office from the Democrats.

The party also held off re-election challenges in Utah and North Dakota, and retained Indiana, where Republican Mitch Daniels stepped down because of term limits. Democrats previously controlled the governor's offices in eight of the 11 states electing their chief executives on Tuesday.

The Republican victories build on gains made two years ago, when the party's candidates rode a wave of economic discontent to capture 11 governor's offices from Democrats and reclaim a majority it lost in 2006.

There were 29 Republicans in governors' seats heading into Tuesday's election, compared with 20 held by Democrats and one filled by an independent.

The Republican winners this year pledged to follow the usual party line - cut taxes in order to spur economic growth.

The state outcomes mean that Romney's defeat wasn't a wholesale repudiation of his the party. ''It provides them with plenty of bragging rights,'' as a senior political correspondent put it.