US Elections: Republicans lose big in referendum on Donald Trump

"What a tangled  web we weave when we first practice to deceive"

The president's Republican  party has been trounced in the first major elections held since his inauguration, with Democrats winning a bigger than expected margin in both New Jersey and Virginia today.

Democrats swept the statewide offices in Virginia and are on the verge of taking control of the lower house there.

US President Donald Trump has criticised his party's candidate for Virginia governor just minutes after he lost the election.

Trump fired off a tweet from South Korea after it became apparent that nominee Ed Gillespie would lose to Democrat Ralph Northam.

"Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for," Trump wrote. "Don't forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy.

Trump was referring to the four congressional special elections held this year, all in which Republicans retained the open seats.

It was a much wider victory than anticipated for the Democrats' Northam, as well as for incoming New Jersey governor Phil Murphy.

Murphy will replace Chris Christie, a former presidential candidate and Trump surrogate with profoundly dire approval ratings.

The big wins have Democrats abuzz with the possibility that they could take back Congress in the midterm election this time next year.

Meanwhile, Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio was comfortably re-elected in Trump's hometown of New York.

Note EU-Digest: The Democrats better don't start congratulating each other. Republicans lost not because the Democrats did such a good job as a party, but rather because with someone like Trump as President of the US , who shoots himself in the foot constantly, just about anyone, or any party could now win against Republican candidates. 

EU-Digest