Republican wins racially charged U.S. Senate race in Mississippi

By John Whitesides

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks during a campaign event in Meridian, Mississippi, U.S., November 25, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - 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.

 

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 Nov. 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, and fueled Democratic hopes of an upset in a state where 38 percent of the population is black.

 

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.

 

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 Nov. 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.

 

(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and; Sonya Hepinstall & Simon Cameron-Moore)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-28

 She won by a pretty comfortable margin. 

One small step backwards for America. One giant step backwards for mankind. Cindy Hyde-Smith is a deeply flawed human being. A real hater. This represent a step back into the shameful past of Mississippi. 

33 minutes ago, disambiguated said:

Utter nonsense.  It's good to see the rule of law prevail for once, despite the false-flag noose hate-hoax perpetrated by Antifa on the grounds of the Mississippi State Capitol.

 

Hyde-Smith is far too moderate for me, but at least she's kept the seat out of the hands of the traitorous Democrats who are working to destroy the United States. 

Hyde-Smith is too moderate for you? What do you want? The equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition for everyone who does not think, love Jesus and have sex in precisely the way you do? As the previous poster said, a giant step backwards to state sanctioned violence like the way they used to do it, such as public hanging. Not even the most evil of serial killers do public hangings.

Mississippi being Mississippi.

53 minutes ago, Proboscis said:

Hyde-Smith is too moderate for you? What do you want? The equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition for everyone who does not think, love Jesus and have sex in precisely the way you do? As the previous poster said, a giant step backwards to state sanctioned violence like the way they used to do it, such as public hanging. Not even the most evil of serial killers do public hangings.

Thank you. She is a monstrously misguided human being who is allowed to be a hater, by the current crop of bigots and racists. Accept reality. America is never going to be white again. So what? The ethnic minorities are what have made America great. Certainly not the white southern bigots. Legal Immigrants commit 9 times less homicide than Americans. And illegal immigrants commit three times less homicide. Who are the maniacs?

the South has alway's been about 50 years behind the rest of the  country.  would never step foot in the State nor Texas, Alabama and a few others.  just scared me to death, the South in general.  no surprise here. 

From the look of her, I do not think she will see out her time in office.

3 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

 She won by a pretty comfortable margin. 

But underperfomed compared to average Republicans in the state.

4 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

 She won by a pretty comfortable margin. 

53:47 is indeed comfortable, but it’s also a significant swing towards the Democrats.

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Thank you. She is a monstrously misguided human being who is allowed to be a hater, by the current crop of bigots and racists. Accept reality. America is never going to be white again. So what? The ethnic minorities are what have made America great. Certainly not the white southern bigots. Legal Immigrants commit 9 times less homicide than Americans. And illegal immigrants commit three times less homicide. Who are the maniacs?

The Americans? ????????????

 

Alabama would have elected a squirrel if it was a republican oh I guess that’s just what they did lol times a commimg for change even in Alabama 

Excellent. Now Trump will be able to get his nominees appointed to the SCOTUS, which will be his real legacy. I expect another vacancy to be coming up real soon.

52 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Excellent. Now Trump will be able to get his nominees appointed to the SCOTUS, which will be his real legacy. I expect another vacancy to be coming up real soon.

Whereas before he couldn't? Do try keeping up.

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Excellent. Now Trump will be able to get his nominees appointed to the SCOTUS, which will be his real legacy. I expect another vacancy to be coming up real soon.

Yeah...keep the women-folk and the black- folk and the brown - folk in the place, that God created for them!

a racist stating will be on front row on a black hanging....

what in the brain of who voted for her ?

3 minutes ago, Jerry787 said:

a racist stating will be on front row on a black hanging....

what in the brain of who voted for her ?

MAWA!