MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US: Democrats “ready lo lead”.

The Democrats have pulled off an historic win to seize control of the US House of Representatives after a dozen years of Republican rule in a resounding repudiation of a war, a president and a scandal-scarred Congress

The White House admitted the mid-term elections had "not gone the way he would have liked" as Republicans faced up to losing the House for the first time since 1994.

"From sea to shining sea, the American people voted for change," declared Rep. Nancy Pelosi the hard-charging California Democrat in line to become the nation's first female House speaker.

"Today we have made history," "now let us make progress, our party is ready to lead" she said.

By Wednesday morning they had snatched more than 20 House seats from Republican hands, well above the 15 they needed to take control. The size of their majority depends on whether the GOP (Grand Old Party - the Republicans' nickname) can take others back.

Meanwhile, key seats in the Senate race remained on a knife edge. At least one recount was on the cards, raising the prospect that it could be days before it is known who will be in control there.

Democrats had made three of the six net gains they need to win, taking Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Ohio.

But they lost in Tennessee, leaving just three more races - in Virginia, Missouri and Montana - all of which they must win, and all of which are virtually neck-and-neck.

Democrat Claire McCaskill was projected to defeat incumbent Jim Talent in Missouri.

In Virginia, Republican incumbent George Allen and Democratic challenger Jim Webb were separated by a tiny proportion of votes in what will be a pivotal race.

With 99% of votes counted, Mr Webb was in the lead by 2,700 out of a total of 2.3 million cast and declared victory. But Mr Allen told supporters the counting would continue into Thursday.