Mississippi votes: Trump sweeps state, congressional incumbents reelected, judicial runoffs likely

This story will be updated.

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

With nearly 90% of the statewide vote in, Trump led Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris 62% to 36% Tuesday night.

Mississippi’s two contested elections for the Mississippi Supreme Court and the open seat on the Court of Appeals remained too close to call on Tuesday night. 

With 59% of votes processed for the Central District seat on the state Supreme Court, none of the five candidates running had an outright majority of the votes cast. Republican state Sen. Jenifer Branning, at 44.5% of the vote, and incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens, at 34% of the vote, remained the leading candidates. 

If no candidate receives an outright majority of the vote, or more than 50%, the two candidates who received the most votes will compete in a runoff election on November 26. 

For the Court’s Southern District seat, challenger David Sullivan, at 54.9% of the vote, was leading incumbent Justice Dawn Beam, who had 45.1% of the vote, though the Associated Press had yet to call the race with only 79% of the vote counted. 

The three candidates competing for the open seat on the Court of Appeals were still locked in a close race that remained too close to call with 84% of the vote total counted.  Amy St. Pé led the candidates by receiving 34.3% of the vote, with Ian Baker getting the second largest vote share at 33.3%. Jennifer Schloegel remained in last place with 31.7%. 

Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker defeated Democratic challenger Ty Pinkins in unofficial results Tuesday night.

Wicker, the state’s senior U.S. senator, resides in Tupelo and has served in the U.S. Senate since late 2007 after first being appointed to fill a vacancy by then-Gov. Haley Barbour. He was elected to the post in 2008. He previously served in the U.S. House and as a state senator. 

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

In a speech last week to the state’s business leaders, Wicker encouraged them to vote for Republican candidates on Election Day so that political leaders in Washington can pass new laws to reduce federal taxes, strengthen the nation’s military and reduce the number of undocumented immigrants entering the country. 

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

All four of Mississippi’s incumbent U.S. House members were reelected to another term. 

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

In the 2nd Congressional District that makes up most of the Delta and west Mississippi, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, the state’s only Democrat in Washington, defeated Republican challenger Ron Eller. 

In the 3rd Congressional District that contains most of central Mississippi, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest was reelected without opposition. 

In the 4th Congressional District located in south Mississippi, U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell defeated Democratic opponent Craig Raybon.