Democrats take control of House; Senate hinges on race in Virginia

Democrats captured control of the House last night for the first time in more than a decade while control of the Senate remains up for grabs.

In early results, Democrats had stripped from Republicans at least 18 seats in the House, with at least nine more Republican seats in danger of takeover. The wins were three more than the 15 needed to win the chamber and set the stage for Rep. Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, to become the nation’s first female speaker of the House.

“We are on the brink of a great Democratic victory,” Mrs. Pelosi said last night.

In the Senate, Democrats captured three Republican seats but still needed to sweep the three seats still in doubt this morning — Virginia, Missouri and Montana — to take control.

Control of the Senate may turn on Virginia, where Republican Sen. George Allen stumbled badly and was virtually tied with James H. Webb Jr., a little-known Democrat who had raised hardly any money before Labor Day. In his speech last night, Mr. Allen said “this election continues” and reminisced about his first election victory, won on a recount.

Also, Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill led Republican Sen. Jim Talent by fewer than 1,200 votes, with 74 percent of that state’s votes counted.

The Republican losses were the first electoral setback for President Bush since winning the White House six years ago. Both sides said Mr. Bush’s low popularity and voter anger over the war in Iraq were the leading contributors to Republican losses.

The biggest giant to fall last night was Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who is the Republican Conference chairman, his party’s No. 3 Senate post. He was felled by state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., the son of a popular former governor.

“This was just a little too steep a mountain to climb but it was not for want of people to help us climb it,” said Mr. Santorum, with his tearful family gathered around him, after early returns showed him about 20 percentage points behind.

Mr. Casey’s famous name and cautious campaign prevailed over the conservative Mr. Santorum in the reliably Democratic state. Conservative leaders last night mourned the loss of Mr. Santorum as one of their most devoted and effective champions.

Rep. Sherrod Brown, Ohio Democrat, also denied Republican incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine re-election to a third term. Mr. Brown, a seven-term liberal in the House, rode a wave of anti-Republican sentiment in the state to easy victory last night. In Rhode Island, liberal Republican Sen. Lincoln Chaffee was projected to lose to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.

The Republicans’ best hope for a pickup — Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele in Maryland — was trailing in a close race. Republicans had dreamed of picking off Democratic held seats in New Jersey and Michigan, as well, but the states returned, respectively, Sens. Robert Menendez and Debbie Stabenow to the Senate.

In the House, Democrats needed to gain 15 seats to win control, which they will do but likely will have a relatively small majority.

Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the deputy Republican whip who won overwhelming re-election last night, said the race wasn’t so much a mandate for Democrats as it was a message to Republicans.

“This is a message from the voters that we really need to step up and reclaim the mantle of reform that propelled us to power 12 years ago,” he said, citing the need to return the party to fiscal discipline and honest government.

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