Republican Cindy Hyde wins runoff election in Mississippi

Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith has won Mississippi's racially charged Senate election, beating a challenge from the black Democrat, Mike Espy.

Her win on Tuesday means Republicans will hold 53 seats to Democrats' 47 seats in the Senate in January. The GOP grew its majority in the Senate by two seats in this year's midterm elections even as Democrats took control of the House.

Hyde-Smith's victory also means that there will be 24 women in the Senate next year. That will set a new record for women serving in the Senate, one more than the current high, set during this Congress.

Hyde-Smith will finish out the final two years of former Sen. Thad Cochran's term, who retired earlier this year due to health concerns. Hyde-Smith will have to run again in 2020 to serve a full six-year term.

The race narrowed after 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, Hyde-Smith had taken 53.9% of the vote in the staunchly Republican state compared to 46.1% for Espy.

President Trump tweeted his congratulations, “Congratulations to Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on your big WIN in the Great State of Mississippi. We are all very proud of you!”.

In a statement, 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, Espy tweeted that he was "proud of the historic campaign we ran and grateful for the support".

The runoff 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 lynching 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 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.