US midterm elections: Republican 'red wave' hopes fizzle

Republican hopes for a sweeping rebuke of President Joe Biden in Congressional elections failed to materialise, with both parties picking up seats following a campaign fought against a backdrop of stubbornly-high inflation and fears for US democracy.

Republicans needed one seat to wrest control of the evenly-divided Senate, but by early Wednesday the only one to change party hands went to the Democrats, with John Fetterman — a burly champion of progressive economic policies — triumphing in Pennsylvania.

In the House of Representatives, early results suggested Republicans were on track to wrest control from Democrats, but only by a handful of seats — a far cry from their predictions.

Still, top Republican Kevin McCarthy, who hopes to be the lower chamber's next speaker, struck an upbeat note as he addressed supporters in the early hours, telling them:

"It is clear that we are going to take the House back."

However, Senator Lindsey Graham, a top Trump ally, bluntly conceded to NBC that the election was "definitely not a Republican wave".

With Biden's favourability ratings hovering in the low 40s and Republicans pounding him over inflation and crime, many pundits had predicted a drubbing that would have raised new questions on whether America's oldest-ever president, who turns 80 this month, should run again.

The president's party has traditionally lost seats in midterm elections, and all eyes have been on a handful of Senate races including those in Georgia, Nevada, Arizona and Wisconsin.

In Pennsylvania — one of the election's highest-profile races — Fetterman limited campaign appearances as he recovered from a stroke that impeded his speech but he still edged out Mehmet Oz, a celebrity doctor endorsed by Donald Trump.

"This campaign has always been about fighting for everyone who's ever been got knocked down that ever got back up," the 6'8" tall Fetterman, clad in his trademark hoodie, told a rally in Pittsburgh.

On a night of close contests, one of the most decisive wins was for rising Republican star Ron DeSantis, who won by a crushing margin in Florida, cementing his status as a top potential White House candidate in 2024.

DeSantis, who has made a name in Florida by railing against Covid-19 mitigation measures and other issues, was projected to have won by up to 20 points against a folksy former governor, four years after squeaking by in his long-time swing state.

"We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob," DeSantis told a victory rally, using a derisive term for social justice campaigners.

"Florida is where [the] woke goes to die," he said.

However, if the 44-year-old views his victory as a mandate for the White House in 2024, he will likely face a stiff challenge from another Florida resident — former president Trump, who has teased an "exciting" announcement on November 15.

Trump, who is facing criminal probes over taking top secret documents from the White House and trying to overturn the 2020 election, returned to his playbook of airing unsubstantiated claims of fraud.

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