New York:
Less than two years after Barack Obama strode into the White House on a promise of change, the Republicans have wrested control of the House of Representatives from his Democrats on Tuesday, riding a wave of voter discontent. The Democrats have retained control of the Senate, but by a slimmer margin.
This is the big picture at a glance:
How it stacks up:House of Representatives: Republicans need 39 seats to gain majority. Are projected to win 59 at this time.
Senate: Republicans need 10 more seats to gain majority. Are projected to win 6 more at this time.
What the new power equations mean:The Democrats lose majority in the US House. The Republicans can now block Obama's key policy agendas.
Democrats retain majority in the Senate, but by a slimmer margin. A divided Congress will scuttle Obama's plans for re-election in 2012.
Highlights:
• More than 60 seats are likely to change hands in the House of Representatives; this will be the biggest swing since 1948.
• Obama's own former Senate seat, Illinois, has gone to Republican Mark Kirk.
• Big losses in Ohio and Pennsylvania, where Obama personally made a dozen trips to campaign.
• Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to be out; Republican John A Boehner likely to get the Speaker's seat
• Tea Party's main campaigner Sharron Angle has lost
• Nikki Haley wins South Carolina, becomes the second American of Indian origin to become Governor after Bobby Jindal.