Democrats clinched their goal of regaining a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives on Tuesday night, but the party failed to generate a sufficiently large “blue wave” to recapture the Senate.

By 1230pm US eastern time, the Democrats had picked up more than the 23 House seats they needed to secure control of the chamber. But the party suffered stinging defeats in the Senate, leaving the Republicans poised to bolster their hold over the chamber.

In a key disappointment for the Democrats, Ted Cruz held on to his Texas Senate seat following a surprisingly effective challenge from Beto O’Rourke. Earlier on Tuesday evening, it appeared that Mr O’Rourke might have a chance of doing the almost impossible — turning the conservative state blue. But Mr Cruz managed to fend off the challenge from a rival who drew strong support from young voters and minorities.