Cindy Hyde-Smith’s victory Tuesday night in the Mississippi Senate runoff shores up the GOP’s majority in the upper chamber and could help them avoid a repeat of the drama that surrounded the confirmation of now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh for future judicial picks.
Hyde-Smith, who was appointed earlier this year by Mississippi’s governor to fill retiring Sen. Thad Cochran’s seat, handily defeated insurgent Democratic challenger Mike Espy in the special election runoff with a commanding margin of 54.4 percent to 45.6 percent, according to state election officials.
While the GOP lost control of the House in this month’s midterms, it gained seats in the Senate and Hyde-Smith’s win means the advantage will increase to 53-47.
One of the most significant consequences is it smooths the way for Trump’s judicial picks to get confirmed by the Senate, and potentially avoid the kind of drama that struck Kavanaugh’s confirmation over the summer.
Kavanaugh was accused of sexually assaulting women in college and high school, but vigorously and repeatedly denied all the claims made against him. Republicans largely backed Kavanaugh, noting the lack of evidence as well as some discrepancies in the accusers’ stories. Democrats called for further investigation into the claims, with others saying the accusations were disqualifying. – READ MORE