Elections in Mississippi: Trump wins the state, incumbent re-elected in Congress, judicial runoffs likely

Former President Donald Trump won Mississippi handily, and the state's incumbent congressional leaders facing reelection were returned to office Tuesday night.

With 98% of the statewide vote, Trump led Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris 61% to 38% in Mississippi on Tuesday night.

The two contested Mississippi Supreme Court elections and the vacancy on the Court of Appeals remained too close to call Tuesday night.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, Mississippi's senior U.S. senator, said at a victory celebration in downtown Jackson that voters across the country showed clearly they believed “our nation is in crisis” and were ready for a new chapter of American politics.

With 90% of the votes cast for the Central District seat on the state Supreme Court, none of the five candidates commanded an absolute majority of votes cast. Republican Senators Jenifer Branning remained the frontrunners with 41.8% of the vote and incumbent Judge Jim Kitchens with 35.6% of the vote.

If no candidate receives an absolute majority of votes, i.e. more than 50%, the two candidates with the most votes will compete against each other in a runoff election on November 26th.

For the court's Southern District seat, challenger David Sullivan had 54.7% of the vote, ahead of incumbent Judge Dawn Beam, who received 45.3% of the vote, although the Associated Press had not yet decided the race with 93% of the vote had .

The three candidates vying for the open seat on the appeals court still fought a tight race that remained too close to decide. A runoff election was likely as 92% of the total votes were counted. Amy St. Pé led the candidates with 35.1% of the vote, while Jennifer Schloegel received the second largest share of votes with 32.6%. Ian Baker followed with 32.3%.

Wicker, the incumbent Republican U.S. senator, defeated his Democratic challenger Ty Pinkins in an unofficial result on Tuesday night.

“We have to deter our adversaries abroad,” Wicker said Tuesday evening. “We have to secure the border. I look forward to serving you for another term in the United States Senate.”

Wicker lives in Tupelo and has served in the U.S. Senate since late 2007, after initially being appointed to fill a vacancy by then-Gov. Haley Barbour. He was elected to office in 2008. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a state senator.

If the Republican Party takes control of the Senate, Wicker will likely lead the Armed Services Committee, the committee that has jurisdiction over the country's military. He would be the first senator from Mississippi since John C. Stennis to lead the committee.

In a speech to the state's business leaders last week, Wicker encouraged them to vote for Republican candidates on Election Day so that political leaders in Washington would pass legislation to cut federal taxes, strengthen the nation's military and reduce the number of immigrants entering the country without Papers can pass country.

Wicker defeated Pinkins, a civil rights attorney and Rolling Fork resident who unsuccessfully ran for Mississippi secretary of state last year.

All four incumbent members of the U.S. House of Representatives in Mississippi were re-elected to another term.

In the 1st Congressional District, which covers most of northeast Mississippi, Republican U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly defeated Democratic opponent Dianne Black.

In the 2nd Congressional District, which covers most of the Delta and western Mississippi, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, the state's only Democrat in Washington, defeated Republican challenger Ron Eller.

In the 3rd Congressional District, which covers most of central Mississippi, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest was re-elected unopposed.

In the 4th Congressional District in southern Mississippi, U.S. Representative Mike Ezell defeated his Democratic opponent Craig Raybon.