Obama hit by Republican victories

REPUBLICANS won two key state elections, dealing a stinging blow to President Barack Obama and his Democrats 12 months after they swept to power.

Obama’s favoured candidates lost battles for the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia in Tuesday’s elections but gained a vacant congressional seat in a strongly Republican district of upstate New York that amounted to scant compensation for the president.

Republicans Chris Christie in New Jersey and Virginia’s Bob McDonnell unseated Democrats.