Mississippi Democrats appear to break Republican supermajority in state Senate

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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Democrats appear to have broken a Republican supermajority in the state Senate, claiming victories in two Republican-held districts that were redrawn after a court ruled they should have greater representation for 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 county results and pass their totals on to the Mississippi Secretary of State for certification.

The Democratic gains in Mississippi were part of strong performance Tuesday in statehouse elections, as Democrats also expanded their majorities in both the New Jersey Assembly and Virginia House.

The victories would mean Republicans no longer have a two-thirds majority in the Mississippi Senate when the new lawmakers take office.

“Mississippi voters reminded us that change is possible when we show up together,” Mississippi Democratic Party Vice Chair Jodie Brown wrote in a statement. “Breaking the supermajority means restoring checks and balances — and ensuring that every Mississippian’s voice counts in their state government.”

Republicans had 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 diluted the power of Black voters. The judges ordered legislators 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 House district in Chickasaw and Monroe counties in the northeastern part of the state.

The court-ordered reshaping of voting districts played a significant role in Democrats’ victories, said Heather Williams, president of the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

“When there are representative maps — and there is a process that actually gives voters a choice of who their elected officials are — we can connect with voters and win,” said Williams, adding: “Mississippi was a prime example of that.”

The Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst called the results “disappointing.”

“Republicans were the underdogs in these gerrymandered districts drawn by an unelected court,” Hurst wrote in a statement. “Democrats’ wins yesterday were the equivalent of scoring points in the fourth quarter while losing the game in a blowout.”

Although breaking a two-thirds supermajority will not give Democrats controlling power in the Senate, it marks a shift for the deep red state where national Democrats have invested in local elections.

“The path to power in states is not ever done in one election. It takes time to build,” Williams said. “It starts by breaking Republican supermajorities.”

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Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta and David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.