Republicans expanded their hold on the US Congress in yesterday's elections, according to network projections.
Democrat Tom Daschle also became the first Senate leader in a half century to be voted out of office. losing his seat in South Dakota.
Mr Daschle, the Senate minority leader, was the Republicans' top congressional target and deemed the "chief obstructionist" to President Bush's conservative agenda.
With Republicans retaining the House of Representatives and the Senate, they positioned themselves to wield greater power in the US capital.
The network projections showed Republicans would hold at least 53 of the 100 Senate seats, two more than they now have, and a slim majority of the 435-member House in the new 109th Congress.
As of early today, it was unclear who would win the Senate race in Florida and Alaska. Nearly complete returns showed Republicans leading in both. If they won, the number of Senate Republican seats would hit 55.
But Republicans will not get the 60 senators that are needed to end Democratic procedural hurdles against what critics have called "extreme" initiatives or nominees.