Republicans surged to victory in two governors' races Tuesday, wresting control from Democrats and delivering a blow to President Barack Obama heading into next year's congressional elections.

The victories in Virginia and New Jersey were triumphs for a Republican Party looking to rebuild after being booted from power in national elections in 2006 and 2008.

In both states, Republicans won the votes of independents who had been crucial to Obama's victory last year.

In the traditionally Democratic state of New Jersey, Gov. Jon Corzine, a billionaire former Wall Street executive, was defeated by Republican Chris Christie.

In the other race, Bob McDonnell won a resounding victory over R. Creigh Deeds in Virginia, a state that was once a Republican stronghold but elected Democrats in the last two gubernatorial races and also backed Obama last year.

The outcomes of the two races were watched closely for hints about the attitudes of American voters and whether the diverse coalition that sent Obama to the White House remains intact.

GOP: 'Clear signal'
The Republican victories could energize a party that has lost back-to-back national elections, just as it seeks to raise money and recruit candidates to prepare for next year's election.

The Republican Party, through party chairman Michael Steele, was quick to describe the Virginia results as "a clear signal that voters have had enough of the president's liberal agenda."

Still, Tuesday's impact on Obama's standing and on the 2010 elections can be overstated. Only two of the 50 U.S. states were holding gubernatorial elections. Voters often were focused on local issues and local personalities. Indeed, most people in Virginia and New Jersey said their ballot choices were not based on their feelings about Obama.

Yet national issues, such as the economic recession, clearly were a factor, with voter attitudes shaped to some degree by how people felt about the state of their nation.

It also was difficult to separate Obama from the outcomes after he devoted much time working to persuade voters to support Deeds and Corzine.

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