Massachusetts state Senator Scott Brown, a Republican, celebrates his victory Tuesday night over Democrat Martha Coakley after winning a special election to fill a U.S. Senate seat. (Elise Amendola/Associated Press)

The Republican winner of a special U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts says his victory sends a powerful message and he hopes to get to work right away.

"The campaign is over now, and we have to focus on solving problems," U.S. Senator-elect Scott Brown told a news conference on Wednesday.

He plans to go to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, he said.

Brown and his fellow Republicans are rejoicing and the Democrats reeling in the wake of the election, which Brown insists was not simply a referendum on President Barack Obama.

Still, Obama grimly faced a need to both regroup and recoup losses Wednesday, the anniversary of his inauguration. The most likely starting place was finding a way to save the much criticized health-care overhaul he has been trying to push through Congress.

Massachusetts state Senator Scott Brown holds up a copy of the Boston Herald to celebrate his victory over Democrat Martha Coakley, 52 per cent to 47 per cent. (Charles Krupa/Associated Press)In one of the country's most traditionally liberal states, Brown rode a wave of voter anger to defeat Democrat Martha Coakley, the state attorney general who had been considered a surefire winner until just days ago.

Her loss signalled big political problems for Obama and the Democratic Party this fall when candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate and governorships are on the ballot nationwide.

In an interview Wednesday morning, Brown insisted the election was more than just a referendum on Obama or the rejection of Coakley by voters.

"It's bigger than that," Brown said, when asked on NBC's Today show if the election was a referendum on Obama.

"I just focused on what I did, which is to talk about the issues — terror, taxes and the health-care plan," he said. "I don't think it was anything that she did."

'There are messages here.'—David Axelrod, senior adviser to President Barack Obama

He called the Obama-backed health-care plan "not good for our state." And he said he believes he offered voters the vision of a public servant who would vote in Washington for whatever is best, "whether it's a good Democratic idea or a Republican idea."

White House reaction

At the White House, advisers played down the notion that the vote was an indictment against health-care reform and blamed the struggling economy instead.

Senior Obama adviser David Axelrod said in an interview with MSNBC that officials will "take into account" what voters said Tuesday.

"There are messages here. We hear those messages," Axelrod said. "There is a general sense of discontent about the economy. And there is a general sense of discontent about this town. That's why we were elected."

In her concession speech, Democrat Martha Coakley, who earned just 47 per cent of Tuesday's vote, said she was "heartbroken by the result." (Michael Dwyer/Associated Press)

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Obama has an opportunity to strike a more bipartisan approach.

"The president ought to take this as a message to recalibrate how he wants to govern, and if he wants to govern from the middle we'll meet him there," said McConnell.

Win makes filibusters possible

Brown will become the 41st Republican in the 100-member Senate, which could allow the Republicans to block the health-care bill. Democrats needed Coakley to win for a 60th vote to thwart Republican filibusters.

Brown became the first Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from supposedly true-blue Democratic Massachusetts since 1972. The late Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy held the seat for almost 47 years before his death of cancer in August. His brother John held the seat for 10 years before he became president.

Brown will finish Kennedy's unexpired term, facing re-election in 2012. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pledged to seat Brown immediately, a hasty retreat from pre-election Democratic threats to delay his inauguration until after the health bill passed.

Brown led by 52 per cent to 47 per cent, with 100 per cent of precincts counted. The third candidate in the race, independent Joseph L. Kennedy, who is no relation to Edward Kennedy, had less than one per cent.

Coakley 'heartbroken'

Even before the first results were announced, administration officials were privately accusing Coakley of a poorly run campaign and playing down the notion that Obama or a toxic political landscape had much to do with the outcome.

On Tuesday, Coakley said she was "heartbroken at the result."

"But I know we will get up ... and continue this fight even with this result tonight, because there will be plenty of Wednesday quarterbacking about what happened, and what went right, and what went wrong," Coakley said during her concession speech.

With files from The Associated Press