US Republican Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky (left) waves with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and McConnell's wife, former United States secretary of labor Elaine Chao, at McConnell's midterm election night victory rally in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday. JOHN SOMMERS / REUTERS

Sweeping victory gives the party control of Senate

Republicans stormed to victory in US midterm elections on Tuesday, thumping rival Democrats to clinch control of both houses of Congress and assuring a fractious final two years for Barack Obama's presidency.

Riding a wave of voter frustration with Washington incumbents and the unpopular policies of the Obama administration, Republicans seized at least seven seats from Senate Democrats to claim total congressional control for the first time since 2006.

"The US people have put their trust in the Republican Party," Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate's top Republican, brushed aside the toughest challenge to his Kentucky seat in 30 years and was slated to replace Harry Reid as Senate majority leader.

"This experiment in big government has lasted long enough. It's time to go in a new direction," McConnell told supporters in his victory speech.

Republicans also cleaned up in key governors' races, earning re-election in Florida, Wisconsin and Kansas and stunning Democrats by winning governorships in Maryland and Massachusetts.

But of the 36 governors' races, probably the most painful for Obama was Illinois, where Republican Bruce Rauner ousted Democrat Pat Quinn in the president's home state.

Cui Tiankai, China's ambassador to the United States, said the election results, which are the concern of the US people, will not directly affect Sino-US ties.

Looking back at the decadeslong relationship, Cui said in Washington that eight presidents from the leading US parties have maintained strong continuity in their policies toward China.