This article is more than 11 years old

This article is more than 11 years old

The Republicans have won a crucial election to deny president-elect Barack Obama and the Democrats the chance of a 60-seat "super-majority" in the Senate.

The Republican incumbent, Saxby Chambliss, held on to his seat in Georgia in an election run-off held because the November 4 vote failed to produce an outright winner.

Chambliss had called on the electorate to back him in order to build a "firewall" against total control by Obama of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Republican victory means the Democrats have 58 of the 100 senate seats. A majority of 60 would have allowed them to override Republican delaying tactics such as filibusters that could play havoc with Obama's ambitious legislative programme. Instead, the Democrats will have to rely on moderate Republicans to see their bills through.

Another senate contest, in Minnesota, is being recounted and remains in the balance but the Georgia defeat makes that outcome less important.

With 96% of the vote counted, Chambliss took 57% to Democratic candidate Jim Martin's 43%. Martin benefited on November 4 from the big African-American turnout in the southern state for Obama. Turnout on Tuesday, by contrast, was low.

Both sides saturated Georgia with adverts and visits by prominent politicians, including the failed vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, on Monday. Obama, possibly wanting to avoid association with a defeat, did not go to Georgia to campaign for Martin.

In Minnesota, the Democratic candidate, Al Franken, is trailing the Republican Norm Coleman in a recount that has to be completed by December 16. Franken is cutting into Coleman's lead. By last night, with 93% of the total vote recounted, Coleman was only 303 ahead.