Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith has won Mississippi’s racially charged Senate election, beating a challenge from the black Democrat, Mike Espy.
It extends the Senate majority of President Donald Trump’s party 53 for Republicans and 47 for Democrats BBC reported.
The race narrowed after Ms Hyde-Smith, who is white, was recorded saying she would happily attend a public hanging.
The comments evoked the lynching of African-Americans in a state scarred by a history of racial violence.
With nearly all votes counted, Ms Hyde-Smith had taken 53.9 per cent of the vote in the staunchly Republican state compared to 46.1 per cent for Mr Espy.
This victory has made her the first ever US congresswoman to be elected from Mississippi.
President Trump tweeted his congratulations.
In a statement, Ms Hyde-Smith said: “I want everybody to know, no matter who you voted for today, I am going to represent every Mississippian.”
Conceding to his opponent, Mr Espy tweeted that he was “proud of the historic campaign we ran and grateful for the support”.
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The run-off election campaign had dredged up aspects of the Deep South state’s ugly past.
On Monday, several nooses were found at the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson in an apparent protest against the tenor of the campaign.
Signs alongside the ropes urged voters to elect “someone who respects the lives of lynch victims” and “remind people that times haven’t changed”, according to local media.
This election became more competitive after a video emerged earlier this month of Ms Hyde-Smith – who is the incumbent senator – saying she would be “on the front row” if one of her supporters “invited me to a public hanging”.
For many, the comment evoked past lynchings of African-Americans.
and then