Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell, a perennial candidate with no government experience, soundly defeated veteran politician Mike Castle for the Republican Senate nomination in Delaware Tuesday -- posing a major upset to the political establishment on the last big day of primaries.

With all precincts reporting, O'Donnell beat Castle 53-47 percent.

O'Donnell's win stands as the latest sign of Tea Party strength but also the latest test of whether that movement helps or hinders the Republican Party, with an open seat and perhaps a GOP Senate majority at stake.

Party fractures on full display, Republican aides told Fox News Tuesday that O'Donnell would not be getting national fundraising support. State party leaders had warned that O'Donnell cannot compete against Democrat Chris Coons and vigorously backed Castle, a nine-term congressman and former governor.

But O'Donnell stood her ground as she closed out the race by accusing Castle of selling out to the moderate wing of the party. Hailing her win Tuesday as a victory for "citizen politicians," she urged Republicans to "bury the hatchet" and work with her over the next two months to defeat Coons.

"A lot of people have already said that we can't win the general election," O'Donnell said in her victory speech, joining the crowd in a "yes we can" chant. "It is those same so-called experts who said we had no chance of winning the primary.

"It will be hard work, but we can win," she said.

Considered a long shot just weeks ago, O'Donnell's candidacy got renewed attention after conservative Joe Miller beat Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski in their state's Senate primary last month. Big-name endorsements from Sarah Palin and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint boosted her profile in the final days of the race, which snowballed into one of the nastiest intra-party battles of the year.

Republican aides told Fox News Tuesday that the National Republican Senatorial Committee will not be funding O'Donnell's general election campaign, leaving it up to Palin and the Tea Party Express to do the heavy lifting.

The NRSC issued a terse statement congratulating O'Donnell for her nomination "after a hard-fought primary campaign."

Castle, thanking his campaign staff for their "integrity and honesty," conceded late Tuesday.

"The voters in the Republican primary have spoken and I respect that decision," he said.

Tea Party-backed candidate Ovide Lamontagne also took the lead in the GOP primary contest for Senate in New Hampshire.

In total, seven states and Washington, D.C., held primary contests Tuesday night.

Primaries in New York and Wisconsin emerged as must-see races, with embattled congressman Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., overcoming his toughest challenge in years and GOP businessman Ron Johnson winning a chance to take on vulnerable Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., in November.

Other notable races included the New Hampshire Senate contest and the D.C. mayoral race, where Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty was fending off a formidable challenge from D.C. Council chairman Vincent Gray.

But all eyes were on Delaware, where Republicans scrambled for the Senate seat formerly held by Vice President Biden.

Democrats were eager to draw lessons from O'Donnell's victory and immediately portrayed her Tuesday as too extreme for her state, as they did when conservative Sharron Angle won the GOP Senate nomination in Nevada earlier this year.

"Today the Republican Party has shown just how far right it has moved," DNC Chairman Tim Kaine said in a written statement. "While Americans in Delaware and across the country are eager for both parties to work together toward solutions that move America forward, Delaware's Tea Party Republicans have nominated a self-aggrandizing and divisive candidate who seeks to tear down the progress we've made to recover from failed Republican economic policies that took us to the brink of economic collapse."

While O'Donnell's campaign enjoyed a $250,000 injection from the Tea Party Express, some Tea Party groups did not support her. The state GOP and even some of O'Donnell's former staffers have hammered her for calling herself a fiscal conservative when she has had personal financial problems.

O'Donnell tried to brush off the attacks, accusing the party of resorting to "cannibalism" in an ultimately failed attempt to stave off her rise against Castle.

Party leaders no doubt were looking at midterm polls that showed Castle leading Coons in November but O'Donnell trailing. The seat could be critical for Republicans hoping to gain control of the Senate. They need to pick up 10 seats to do so.

In New York, state Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV was seeking revenge on Rangel, who defeated his father, a legendary figure in Harlem, 40 years ago. The race comes as Rangel faces a potential House trial for charges of 13 ethics violations, mostly related to his personal finances, that has caused some politicians, voters, and even President Obama to suggest it is time for Rangel to retire. Obama said Rangel should "end his career with dignity."

Rangel has dismissed Powell as a "nice fellow." The incumbent was getting help from former President Bill Clinton who recorded a robocall in which he praised the congressman's record.

New Hampshire held a four-way GOP Senate primary Tuesday for retiring Sen. Judd Gregg's seat. Former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, who was backed by both Palin and the Republican establishment, was trying to fend off a come-from-behind surge by Lamontagne, a well-known New Hampshire conservative who's courted Tea Party voters aggressively. Early returns showed Lamontagne in the lead.

The winner will oppose Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes in November.

In Maryland, the GOP gubernatorial primary also included a Tea Party activist and Palin-backed candidate: investor Brian Murphy. But he failed to pick up enough steam to topple former Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

Ehrlich won the GOP nomination by a landslide Tuesday and is eyeing a November rematch against Democratic incumbent Martin O'Malley, who beat him in 2006.

Fox News' Carl Cameron and Eric Shawn contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/14/hours-polls-close-gloves-come-delaware/

This womman is so Yummy. She has to be one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, with the exception of a couple Minglers.

The Republicans are making a big mistake by not backing her. Once again we see that the typical party hacks only want to stick with the popular politicians.

They are simply failing to recognize what the public is already onto....that they are tired of the career politicians!!

This woman has already proven that she can win, even when it was said she did'nt stand a chance. Sound familiar??

I hope she gains enough momentum to throw the Republican leaders off their azzes and show them that the PEOPLE are in control, not them!!

I wonder what would happen if I sent her a dozen roses and a card asking her to marry me?

just guessing here, but might really meet the fbi then - lol

Damn, she's almost as hot as Myka..................

The tea party has been doing very well lately.Nobody is laughing now are they?

this woman seems like she has her stuff together... i'm impressed with her so far...

Me too.

you have the "bone" factor for her... nothing wrong with that

I still think Myka is so much better, but this candidate comes into a close second!