IN THE end it was a massacre. The Republicans easily gained control of the Senate in the mid-term elections, with projections showing them picking up at least six of the seats they needed, and probably more. Polling had showed that West Virginia, South Dakota and Montana were already in the bag, but other wins came thick and fast, and by wider margins of victory than had been thought. The Democrats were also defeated in Arkansas, Colorado and North Carolina, giving the Republicans their six seats. In Georgia David Perdue sailed past the 50% needed to avoid a run-off and held the seat for the Republicans. Mitch McConnell, the next Senate majority leader, retained his seat in Kentucky by swatting away his Democratic challenger with a 15-point margin of victory; the polls had suggested a closer result. Elsewhere there was little comfort for the Democrats in governors’ races, with the Republicans winning close elections in Wisconsin and Florida. Our analysis of how the Republicans are likely to govern the Senate for the next two years is here. The map below breaks down the Senate vote, showing how the results stand on the morning of November 5th.

See our interactive feature showing polling data for all contested states in the run up to the election.