Republicans take control of U.S. Senate

In what appeared to be a big night for Republicans, the president's party took control of the Senate and held on to its dominance in the House of Representatives. It was the first time that a Republican president's party did not lose House seats in a midterm election. In Missouri, the site of a hotly contested seat in the Senate, Jim Talent defeated incumbent Democrat Jean Carnahan. That victory was key in helping Republicans gain control of the Senate.

As voters across the nation cast their ballots on Tuesday, President George W. Bush spent the afternoon at the White House awaiting midterm election results. Bush campaigned the last two weeks for Republicans across the country, knowing that Tuesday's election results could significantly affect his ability to govern for the remaining two years of his term. With more Republicans in office, Bush would have an easier time pushing his own legislation through Congress.

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Early Tuesday evening he called his brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, to congratulate him on his projected re-election. The president characterized it as a "big victory" and said "he was proud of his brother and of the campaign he ran," according to a White House official.

Turnout was reported higher than normal in some states, and there were no major problems with polling sites noted. Even poor weather, which typically decreases voter turnout, did not seem to have much effect.

On election night, Voter News Service -- a vote-counting group used by major news organizations -- said it would not release any "national surveys of voter attitudes" because the group was not satisfied with exit poll analyses. As a result, CNN and other TV news networks relied more heavily on returns from state election officials. That means election night reporting lacked the usual exit poll information that helps explain how and why people voted the way they did.