Democrats take US Senate control: Media

Washington, Nov 9: Democrats have won enough seats to take control of the US Senate from President George W Bush's Republican Party and hold both houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years, according to media reports.

NBC television and the Associated Press reported that Democrat James Webb defeated Republican Sen George Allen in the closely contested Virginia Senate race.

The Democrats had already won a majority in the US House of Representatives in Tuesday's elections. Webb's seat was the sixth pickup Democrats needed for a majority in the 100-seat Senate.

Webb led Allen by about 7,000 votes out of 2.3 million cast. The final vote count could take a week, with a winner certified on November. 27. Any recount could stretch into December.

Allen's camp has refused to concede defeat, with adviser Ed Gillespie telling reporters in Richmond, Virginia, earlier yesterday, ''We'll see where the official tally stands on November 27 and we'll come back and visit with you then.''

REUTERS