Republicans take control

The Senate has 52 Republican seats to 45 Democrats after the former gained seven states, one more than they needed to take control.

Republicans have consolidated their power on Capitol Hill, picking up more seats than they needed to gain control of the Senate – and leaving President Obama a lame duck for the last two years of his presidency.

The Senate will now be shaped by 52 Republican seats to 45 Democrats after the former gained seven states, one more than they needed to take control.

Republican triumphs included key wins in Arkansas, West Virginia, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, North Carolina and Iowa, all seats controlled by Democrats when the day began.

Outstanding races, Alaska and Louisiana among them on Wednesday morning, held further possibilities for the GOP. 

They also strengthened their grip on the House of Representatives and when the new Congress takes power in January, will be in charge of both chambers of Congress for the first time since elections in 2006.

And if the Senate was the cake, governor's mansions would become sweet icing for the GOP as they took home three unexpected gubernatorial wins in Maryland, Illinois and Massachusetts. 

While she was predicted to lose, a 20-point shellacking made for a difficult evening for Wendy Davis, the liberal standard-bearer who saw her dream of becoming Texas governor go up in flames at the hands of state Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Another big theme on Tuesday was how little the support of big name politicians meant to Democrats in tight races.

Bill and Hillary Clinton saw seven of the U.S. Senate hopefuls they stumped for suffer major losses, while President Obama and the First Lady proved ineffective at stopping momentum from swinging towards the Republican party.

By night's end it was hard to find bright spots for Obama's party as result after crushing result came rolling in.

But Republicans, hoping to win the White House in 2016, will also be under pressure to show Americans they are capable of governing after drawing scorn a year ago for shutting down the government in a budget fight. 

In the end it was Joni Ernst who delivered the victory that handed the upper chamber of Congress to the Republican Party when she was elected to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate.

'We are going to make 'em squeal!' she told supporters during a victory rally, referring to entrenched interests – mostly Democratic ones.

Moments after that contest was decided, North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis sent Democratic Senator Kay Hagan packing, giving the GOP a 52-seat majority in Congress. 

Republican Rep. Renee Elmers also defeated Democrat and former American Idol star Clay Aiken in North Carolina on Tuesday. 

Democrat hopes of seeing an independent defeat Sen. Pat Roberts in Kansas — one possible path to keeping Democrats in charge of the Senate — came to nothing. 

Elsewhere, Congressman Cory Gardner prevailed in Colorado, defeating Democrat Mark Udall while Republican Steve Daines scored a victory over Democrat Amanda Curtis Montana.

The Republican National Committee took a massive victory lap after the North Carolina race's outcome was no longer in doubt.

'The American people have put their trust in the Republican Party, sending a GOP majority to the U.S. Senate,' said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.

'Our party's principles and message resonated with voters across the country. This was a rejection of President Obama's failed polices and Harry Reid's dysfunctional Senate.

Priebus continued: 'Republicans have been given the opportunity to lead the country in a better direction, and the Republican House and Senate are ready to listen to the American people. We hope President Obama will too.

'It's time to get to work on creating jobs, expanding American energy development, pursuing real healthcare reform, reducing spending, reining in the federal government, and keeping America safe.'

The GOP held just 45 of the Senate's 100 seats as voters woke up Tuesday. Democrats held 53, and two independent members caucus with them.

In one of the most hotly-contested battles, Republican Congressman Tom Cotton defeated incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Pryor to snatch his Senate seat in Arkansas.

South Dakota Republican Mike Rounds won his contest as well.

An hour before that, Republican Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito gave Republicans their first big win of the evening in West Virginia, taking away the first seat from a Democratic senator.

That seat, previously held by Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller, now goes into the GOP column. Democratic nominee Natalie Tennant, the West Virginia secretary of state and a former television news anchor, couldn't come up with enough support in the state's coal country to mount a serious challenge.