Parties Go All Out in Fight for Senate Seats in Minnesota and Georgia

The congressional elections are over for most of the US, but not in Georgia and Minnesota, where Democrats and Republicans are fighting all-out for the two remaining Senate seats that could shape Barack Obama's presidency.

The election in Georgia, in which neither candidate won more than 50%, is to be re-run on December 2. In Minnesota a recount of votes began today, while in Alaska the Democrats on Tuesday night took the third outstanding seat, although theoretically the Republicans could demand a recount.

The Democrats' win in Alaska over the Republican incumbent Ted Stevens, who has been found guilty of corruption, helps the party close in on the magic 60 seats in the US Senate that would give it a decisive majority in the 100-seat chamber.

If the Republicans can deny the Democrats that 60-seat majority they would be able to mount filibusters and other delaying tactics that could potentially create havoc with parts of Obama's legislative program. Some moderate Republicans, though, will vote with the Democrats on many issues.

The Democrats went into the election with 51 Senate seats and now have 58, including two independents who vote with them.

In Minnesota lawyers from both parties are out in force as the two sides argue, in an echo of the 2000 Florida recount, over whether absentee ballots that had been discarded as spoiled should be counted.

Election officials in Minnesota today began a manual recount of the 2.9 million votes cast on November 4 for Republican incumbent Norm Coleman or the Democrat former comedian Al Franken. They have until December 5 to complete the job. The state canvassing board postponed a decision on rejected absentee ballots. The recount was triggered by the smallness of Coleman's lead, only 215.

Meanwhile senior figures from both parties, including Bill Clinton, were heading to Georgia to speak at rallies and other campaign events. The state's television stations are being swamped with political adverts. Democrats would also like to see Obama make a trip to the state. The president-elect's campaign team said today that no decision had been made.

Obama spent today in Chicago, working on putting together his cabinet. It was widely reported last night that the former Democratic leader in the Senate, Tom Daschle, had accepted the post of health and human services secretary.

Health is one of the most important jobs in Obama's cabinet, with Daschle having to deliver on Obama's campaign pledge to move towards universal health care.

Mitt Romney, who was among the Republican candidates seeking the party's presidential nomination early this year and is likely to run again, is scheduled to visit Georgia Friday. John McCain campaigned there last week.

In Georgia the Democrat Jim Martin is trying to oust the Republican incumbent, Saxby Chambliss. Neither candidate got 50% of the vote plus one, automatically triggering a re-run. Chambliss won 49.8% of the vote, to Martin's 46.8%. A libertarian candidate took 3.4 % of the vote, possibly preventing Chambliss securing the 50%-plus he needed.

There was a big African-American turn-out in Georgia on November 4 for Obama. Although Obama did not take the state, Martin benefited from the increased turn-out. But the African-American vote may not turn out in such big numbers for the Senate race.

In Alaska the Democratic party's victory could mean the end of Stevens' career. The six-term senator is the longest-serving Republican in Senate history. His Democrat rival, Mark Begich, claimed victory on Tuesday, even though he had only a 3,724 majority.

Stevens, 85, did not say whether he would seek a recount. He was damaged by being found guilty of concealing $250,000 in gifts and home renovations from an oil company.

"I wouldn't wish what I'm going through on my worst enemy," Stevens told reporters in Washington on Tuesday before the vote count. "I haven't had a night's sleep for almost four months."

Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat who headed the Senate campaign committee, said: "With seven seats added to the Democratic ranks in the Senate, we have an even stronger majority that will bring real change to America."