Mainstream Republicans in Tea Party primaries setback

The conservative Tea Party movement has won several victories over mainstream US Republicans in primary contests ahead of November's mid-term elections.

In one of the biggest upsets, Tea Party-backed candidate Christine O'Donnell beat a veteran congressman for the Senate nomination in Delaware.

A Tea Party candidate also won the race to stand for New York governor.

Republican strategists fear these candidates will not appeal to the wider electorate in November mid-term polls.

Seven states and Washington DC voted for candidates, in what is seen as a test of the mood within the parties.

Republicans are hoping to benefit from anger over the US economy to win both houses of the US Congress in November.

The grassroots Tea Party movement - which favours tax and spending cuts - emerged as a force in American politics only last year.

But observers say it has had a powerful effect on the Republican Party's choice of candidates for November and is seriously challenging the party's establishment.

Tea Party-backed candidates had earlier won Senate nominations in Nevada, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky and Alaska.

The Tea Party triumph in Delaware is one of the most significant results of the entire primary season, says the BBC's Steve Kingstone in Washington.

Christine O'Donnell was publicly ridiculed and written off by the state's Republican leadership, but she survived to score a resounding victory over the establishment candidate, Congressman Mike Castle, our correspondent says.

It is a result that will ring alarm bells for the party leadership - Delaware is one of a handful of states where the Republicans must win if they are to seize control of the Senate, he adds.

Ms O'Donnell, a little-known marketing consultant who won in Delaware, had been endorsed by Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee in 2008 who has the support of Tea Party activists.

She told supporters at a victory rally that her cause was to "restore America".

"The people of Delaware have spoken. No more politics as usual," she said.

She will now compete in Delaware against Chris Coons, the Democratic candidate for a Senate seat formerly held by Vice-President Joe Biden.

Before the result was known, Republican officials had warned that they would not fund Ms O'Donnell if she won the primary.

Speaking on Wednesday Ms O'Donnell accused the party of "Republican cannibalism".

"We have to rise above this nastiness and unify for the greater good, because there's a lot of work to be done and there are a lot of people who want to get involved if the Republican Party would," she was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

Leading Republicans played down suggestions of a rift in the party.

"Let there be no mistake: The National Republican Senatorial Committee - and I personally as the committee's chairman - strongly stand by all of our Republican nominees, including Christine O'Donnell in Delaware," Senator John Cornyn said, in a statement.

Meanwhile, Democratic National Committee chief Tim Kaine said Ms O'Donnell's win "creates opportunities" for Democrats and was a sign of "civil war" in the Republican party.

DC Mayor ousted

In other results from Tuesday's polls, Tea Party ally Carl Paladino beat the Republican party's chosen candidate Rick Lazio in the race for the nomination to stand for New York governor.

In Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty lost the city's Democratic primary to DC Council chairman Vincent Gray, just four years after sweeping into office with unprecedented support.

Other notable wins included:

Hawaii's primary on 18 September will be the last of the current primary election season.