WASHINGTON–Democrats have seized control of the U.S. House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate, for the first time since 1994 in mid-term elections, which will create a more consumer-oriented agenda for the property-casualty insurance industry to deal with, according to lobbyists.

Several industry analysts said in notes to clients Wednesday morning that they believed James Webb, leading in Virginia by a small margin, will prevail over incumbent Sen. George Allen; and that Jon Tester, who is leading incumbent Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., will win as well.

That would mean that Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., who is prideful of his support for the insurance industry, would become chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Sen. Dodd was primary author of the original Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, enacted in late 2002, and is also an author of legislation reining in class-action litigation involving securities enacted in the Clinton administration.