Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith won a U.S. Senate special election runoff in conservative Mississippi on Tuesday, defeating a black challenger after a campaign that recalled the history of racist violence in the deep South state.
The white former state lawmaker, who was appointed to the Senate in April, overcame a controversy over her comment on public hangings to defeat Democrat Mike Espy in the last contest of the 2018 election cycle.
Hyde-Smith, 59, is the first woman elected to Congress from Mississippi. If Espy had won, he would have been the first black senator from Mississippi since shortly after the Civil War.
Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith won a U.S. Senate special election runoff in conservative Mississippi on Tuesday night
Trump attended two get-out-the-vote rallies in the state on Monday, and tweeted his congratulations to Hyde-Smith after the race was called, saying he was 'very proud' of her
Having been heavily favored to win the reliably Republican state, Hyde-Smith became engulfed in a political storm over a video showing her praising a supporter at a November 2 event by saying: 'If he invited me to a public hanging, I'd be on the front row.'
The video sparked a furor in a state with a history of racism and violence against blacks, including lynchings.
Her supporters said the furor over her comments was overblown.
They also stuck by her as a photo was circulated of her wearing a replica Confederate military hat during a 2014 visit to Beauvoir - the last home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis.
It also emerged during the campaign that Hyde-Smith had attended a segregated high school and then sent her daughter to a majority white school.
The controversies fueled Democratic hopes of an upset in a state where 38 percent of the population is black.
The white former state lawmaker, who was appointed to the Senate in April, overcame a controversy over her comment on public hangings to defeat Democrat Mike Espy (pictured with his wife Portia)
Her supporters stuck by her as a photo was circulated of her wearing a replica Confederate military hat during a 2014 visit to Beauvoir - the last home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis
But Hyde-Smith triumphed by depicting Espy as too liberal for Mississippi, which last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 1982, and by touting her support for President Donald Trump, who won the state by 18 percentage points in 2016.
Trump attended two get-out-the-vote rallies in the state on Monday, and tweeted his congratulations to Hyde-Smith after the race was called, saying he was 'very proud' of her.
'Mr President, thank you so much for all of your help,' Hyde-Smith said in a victory speech to supporters, calling her win a triumph of 'conservative values.'
'Mississippians know me and they know my heart,' she said.
Her victory means Republicans will hold a 53-47 majority in the new U.S. Senate that convenes in January. With almost all precincts tallied, Hyde-Smith led by nearly 8 percentage points.
Espy, 64, campaigned as a moderate who would work with Trump and Republicans to benefit the state.
He tried to recreate the coalition that propelled Democrat Doug Jones to a Senate win in neighboring Alabama last year by energizing black voters, particularly women, and winning support from white swing voters.
Trump attended two get-out-the-vote rallies in the state on Monday, and tweeted his congratulations to Hyde-Smith after the race was called, saying he was 'very proud' of her
Espy said he called Hyde-Smith to concede the race and wish her well.
'She has my prayers as she goes to Washington to unite a very divided Mississippi,' he told supporters.
The runoff to serve the last two years of former Republican Senator Thad Cochran's term was necessary because neither Espy nor Hyde-Smith gained more than 50 percent of the vote in a November 6 special election with four candidates.
Cochran, 80, resigned earlier this year, citing health concerns.
Several businesses, including giant retailer Walmart, had demanded Hyde-Smith return their donations after her public hanging remark.
She sparked further controversy when she was shown on another video joking about suppressing liberal student votes, and photographs surfaced of her posing with Confederate artifacts in 2014.
She initially refused to apologize for the hanging remark, but said in a debate last week that she was sorry 'for anyone that was offended.' She accused Espy of twisting her words for political gain.
Espy denied the charge and said 'we all know what came out of your mouth.' He has said the comment perpetuated negative stereotypes about Mississippi and hurt investment.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/28/republican-cindy-hyde-smith-wins-senate-race-in-mississippi/
Main photo article Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith won a U.S. Senate special election runoff in conservative Mississippi on Tuesday, defeating a black challenger after a campaign that recalled the history of racist violence in the deep South state.
The white former state lawmaker, who was appointed to the Senate in ...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/28/06/6732008-6436729-image-a-42_1543385009225.jpg
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