WASHINGTON — The Democratic congressional majority grew broader and more muscular in Tuesday’s historic elections, with new members ousting Republicans in the House and Senate and a team of their own heading to the White House.

Senate Democrats edged closer to a supermajority by ousting Republicans in North Carolina and New Hampshire and adding three seats held by retiring GOP incumbents to a fragile 51-49 majority in the Senate.

Four other races involving Republican incumbents were too close to call today.

In the House, Democrats captured GOP-held seats in the Northeast, South and West, adding at least 15 seats to the 30 they took from Republicans in 2006. With fewer than a dozen races still undecided, they were on a path to pick up as many as 20 seats.

Going into Tuesday’s election, Democrats controlled the House 235-199 with one vacancy.

“Tonight, the American people have called for a new direction. They have called for change in America,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada credited the excitement and record turnout that helped propel president-elect Barack Obama to victory.

Republican Sen. Norm Coleman finished ahead of Democrat Al Franken early today in the final vote count, but his 571-vote margin falls within Minnesota’s mandatory recount law. That law requires a recount any time the margin between the top two candidates is less than one-half of one percent.

The AP had called the race prematurely for Coleman.


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