Tea Party wins primaries

The conservative Tea Party movement in the United States has won several victories over mainstream 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.