Jackson, Miss. Mississippi Democrats appear to have broken the Republican majority in the state Senate, scoring victories in two Republican-controlled states. Areas that have been redrawn After the court ruled that they should have greater representation of black voters.
Unofficial county election results show Democrats leading, but vote totals may change as absentee ballots can still be received up to five days after the election. Local election officials have until Nov. 14 to verify the county’s results and pass their totals to the Mississippi Secretary of State for certification.
Democrats’ gains in Mississippi were part of Tuesday’s strong performance in state House elections, where Democrats also expanded their majorities in both the New Jersey Assembly and the Virginia House of Representatives.
These victories mean that Republicans will no longer have a two-thirds majority in the Mississippi Senate when new lawmakers take office.
“Mississippi voters reminded us that change is possible when we show up together,” Mississippi Democratic Party Vice Chair Judy Brown wrote in a statement. “Breaking the supermajority means restoring checks and balances — and ensuring that every Mississippian’s voice matters in their state government.”
Republicans have held a two-thirds majority in the Senate since the 2019 elections. They will still have at least a three-fifths majority in the chamber.
In Mississippi, a three-fifths majority of the House and Senate is needed to pass tax bills or issue bonds to borrow money. A two-thirds majority in both chambers is needed to approve proposed amendments to the state constitution and override a veto from the governor.
The Democrats’ gains come after a panel of three federal judges ordered the state to redraw some of its legislative districts, saying the state’s 2022 legislative map weakens the power of Black voters. The justices ordered lawmakers to draw majority black Senate districts around DeSoto County in the northwestern corner of the state and around Hattiesburg in the south, and a new majority black Senate district in Chickasaw and Monroe counties in the northeastern part of the state.
Heather Williams, chair of the Democratic National Legislative Campaign Committee, said court-ordered reconfiguration of voting districts played an important role in Democratic victories.
“When there are representative maps — and there is a process that actually gives voters the choice of who their elected officials are — we can connect with voters and win,” Williams said, adding: “Mississippi was a prime example of that.”
Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst described the results as “disappointing.”
“Republicans were the underdog in these gerrymandered districts drawn by an unelected court,” Hearst wrote in a statement. “The Democrats’ wins yesterday amounted to scoring points in the fourth quarter while they lost the game in a blowout.”
Although breaking the two-thirds majority would not give Democrats control of power in the Senate, it represents a shift for the deep red state as national Democrats have invested in local elections.
“The path to power in the states is never done in one election. It takes a long time to build,” Williams said. “It starts with breaking the Republican supermajority.”
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Associated Press writers Jeff Emme in Atlanta and David A. Smith contributed to this report. lib in jefferson city, missouri.