WASHINGTON — Democrats broadened their control of Congress in Tuesday's elections, although in the Senate they fell short of the 60 votes needed for a filibuster-proof majority.
Voters ousted Senate Republicans in North Carolina and New Hampshire and added three seats held by retiring GOP incumbents to the Democrats' 51-49 majority. Four other Senate races involving Republican incumbents, including the contest in Minnesota, were too close to call early Wednesday.
"The people have spoken. We hear the people and now it's time to come behind our president," Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, told The Early Show on CBS on Wednesday. "The Senate is going to have to work things out in a bipartisan way, and I think the test is going to be right there."
The Associated Press called the Senate race in Minnesota prematurely. Republican Sen. Norm Coleman finished ahead of Democrat Al Franken in the final vote count, but Coleman's 571-vote margin falls within the state's mandatory recount law. That law requires a recount any time the margin between the top two candidates is less than one-half of 1 percent.
The AP also took back a call in a central Ohio race. Republican Steve Stivers finished ahead of Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy early Wednesday, but the Franklin County board of elections said later that the unofficial vote count reported by the county included results from two other counties in the 15th district.
In the House, Democrats captured GOP-held seats in the Northeast, South and West, adding at least 18 seats to the 30 they took from Republicans in 2006. Democrats saw potential gains in as many as five more undetermined seats. Going into Tuesday's election, Democrats controlled the House 235-199 with one vacancy.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
Thank you for coming to the Web site of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. We're working to keep you informed with the latest breaking news.