Dems capture seats in House

WASHINGTON – Democrats captured a coveted Senate seat in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, an early… WASHINGTON – Democrats captured a coveted Senate seat in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, an early landmark victory in their bid to gain power in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and change the country’s course.

Democratic challenger Bob Casey Jr. was declared the winner over Republican Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, a one-time conservative icon who’d hoped to run for the presidency. Next door, incumbent Republican Sen. Mike DeWine lost to challenger U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat.

Democrats also held one of their most endangered Senate seats, as Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey fought off allegations of corruption and defeated Republican Tom Kean Jr., the son of a popular former governor.

In another sign of trouble for Republicans, this one in the House, Democrat Brad Ellsworth defeated Republican Rep. John Hostettler in a solidly Republican district in Indiana. Hostettler was a leader among the social conservatives who came to power in the Republican takeover of the House in 1994.

In yet another striking gain, the Democrats won the governor’s office in Ohio for the first time in 20 years. Democratic U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland defeated Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to seize the governor’s office being vacated by Republican Gov. Bob Taft.

The Ohio statehouse was a coveted prize in a state that could be as important to the 2008 presidential campaign as it was when it put George W. Bush over the top for a second term in 2004. A Democrat hasn’t been elected governor of Ohio since 1986.

Early results also showed a razor’s-edge election for a pivotal Senate seat in Virginia, where incumbent Republican Sen. George Allen fought both allegations of racism and a tough challenge from Democrat James Webb, who was Ronald Reagan’s Navy secretary and based his campaign on opposing the war in Iraq.

At stake Tuesday:

-All 435 seats in the U.S. House, where Democrats needed to gain 15 seats to take control for the first time since 1994.

-Thirty-three seats in the Senate, where Democrats needed to gain six to take control for the first time since 2002.

-Thirty-six governors’ offices, where Republicans entered the election with a 22-14 edge, including control of the four biggest states, California, Florida, New York and Texas, plus Ohio.

Voting problems were reported at scattered sites around the country, as millions faced new voting machines bought to alleviate problems like the ones that turned the 2000 presidential election in Florida into a mess.

Software glitches and unfamiliarity with the machines caused unusually long lines in several states, including Illinois, South Carolina and Tennessee.

In Colorado, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter waited an hour and 40 minutes at his precinct. He called the long line “heartening” because, he said, it signaled passionate devotion to democracy.

There also were reports of some voters being intimidated or harassed.

The Department of Justice had 850 poll watchers in 22 states watching for signs of discrimination or other efforts to interfere with voting.