Democrats hang on to Senate majority

While Republicans will continue to dominate the US Congress, the Democrats will comfortably keep their Senate majority.

In Virginia, Democrat Tim Kaine beat Republican George Allen, who saw his second loss. Allen lost the Senate seat six years ago to Democrat Jim Webb, who is retiring after one term.

Indiana Democrat Joe Donnelly, a Congressman, defeated Republican Richard Mourdock, who in May ousted six-term incumbent Richard Lugar in a primary vote. Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown lost to Democrat Elizabeth Warren.

''We have defied the odds, we have won the night, and we will have a Democratic majority,'' Senator Patty Murray of Washington, who heads Senate Democrats' campaign efforts, told supporters on Tuesday.

Democrats control the Senate 53-47. Republicans needed to pick up four net seats to gain a majority. The electoral landscape was supposed to favour Republicans, who were defending 10 seats compared with 23 Democratic seats on the ballot this year. But it didn't work out that way.

One observer said that for the second Senate election in a row, ''Republicans have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory'' by nominating the wrong candidates.