REPUBLICANS retained control of Congress in Tuesday's US national elections with the lowest voter turnout - 49 per cent compared with 55 per cent in 1992 - in 66 years.
The Republicans increased their standing in the Senate from 53 (vs 47 Democrats) to 54 (vs 45 Democrats). One seat remains undecided, and it is leaning in the Republican direction. They lost seats in the House of Representatives, which now has 221 Republicans to 200 Democrats, two independents and 12 seats still undecided. Before the election there were 236 Republicans in the House.
The gender gap played a major role in the outcome of the elections. The Brady Gun Control Bill, which was supported by Republican women when Congress passed it last year, was responsible for the election of Ms Carolyn McCarthy in Long Island, NY, as a Democrat, to the House of Representatives.
Her husband and son were shot while travelling to work by an insane gunman who did not know them. Her husband died outright. Her badly wounded son recovered after a long stay in hospitals. Mrs McCarthy, a Republican, accused the politically powerful gun lobby of sponsoring murder. She ran for Congress to campaign against guns. Her own party, which in the main is pro gun lobby, did not sponsor her candidacy.
The Republican Speaker of the House, Mr Newt Gingrich, whose "Contract With America" was denounced by the Democrats as a means of making the rich richer and the poor poorer, hailed Tuesday's outcome despite the loss of seats. He will be re elected Speaker. Of the 73 "young revolutionaries" elected to Congress in 1994, giving the Republicans - their majority, only 12 were defeated, which in the circumstances was a victory. They had been targeted by the AFL-CIO, the US trade union federation, as well as the Democrats.
In the Senate elections, Mr Bob Torricelli, a Democrat, defeated the Republican, Mr Dick Zimmer, in what was called "the dirtiest race in the nation" before it assumed a genteel character in its final days. His predecessor, Senator Bill Bradley, indicated he may run for the White House in 2000.
In Georgia, Mr Max Cleland (Democrat), a multiple amputee of the Vietnam War, won a Senate seat in a hard campaign, although more whites apparently voted against him than supported him. He had strong black support.
In other controversial contests, Senator Jesse Helms, Republican for North Carolina, turned back for the second time the challenge of the former Mayor of Raleigh, Mr Harvey Gantt, who had strong support from the AFL-CIO.
Democratic senator Mr Paul Wellstone, of Minnesota, was reelected by the narrowest of margins after a heavily financed campaign against him by the senator he defeated in 1990, Mr Rudy Boschwitz.
In the most watched race in the country, Massachusetts, Senator John Kerry, a Democrat, defeated the Republican state governor, Mr William F. Weld, who conceded most graciously, saying they would have a few beers in Foley's of the South End tonight. Mr Kerry, a Vietnam War hero, who later led a movement opposing the conflict, gladly accepted the invitation.
Senator Strom Thurmond, a Republican who will be 94 next month, defeated his Democratic opponent, Mr Elliott Close, in South Carolina. Mr Thurmond began his political life as a Democrat but walked out of the 1948 convention which selected President Harry Truman as its candidate because it adopted a programme of civil rights which he said violated the constitutional doctrine of states' rights. In the last Senate, he chaired the Armed Services Committee.
The Republicans won a Democratic seat in Alabama, where the state attorney general, Mr Jeff Sessions, defeated Democrat Mr Roger Bedford for the seat held by retiring Senator Howell Heflin. Also in the once solidly Democratic South, Republican Mr Tim Hutchinson defeated the Democratic state attorney general Mr Winston Bryant in Bill Clinton's home state, Arkansas.
In Illinois, Mr Richard J. Durbin successfully defended the seat of Senator Paul Simon, who retired, defeating a state Republican representative, Mr Al Salvi.
In Louisiana, the Democratic candidate, Ms Mary Landrieu, is ahead of the Republican, Mr Louis Jenkins, for the seat once held by the Democrat Mr J. Bennet Johnston.
In New Hampshire, the ultraconservative Republican senator Mr Bob Smith held his seat against the challenge of the Democrat, Mr Dick Swett.
In Nebraska, a Republican banker, Mr Chuck Hagel, defeated Governor Ben Nelson for what had been a Democratic seat. In Maine, Republican Ms Susan Collins has a small lead over former Democratic governor Mr Joseph Brennan. In Iowa, Senator Tom Harkin was re elected.
In South Dakota, the Democratic challenger, Mr Tim Johnson, defeated the Republican, Senator Larry Pressler. In California, Congressman Bob Dornan, a Republican, was neck and neck with the Democrat, Ms Nancy Sanchez.
This year's congressional elections are considered to be among the most expensive in US history, at a cost of $800 million. What is considered extraordinary is that President Clinton failed to elect more Democrats in what is called the "coat tails" effect of the leading candidate. Nevertheless, he has proved in the past year that he can work with a Republican controlled Congress to get some of his programme adopted.