New challenges lie ahead after Tuesday’s presidential race

Historian Allan Lichtman has one the best records in predicting outcomes of presidential elections and he was certain that Kamala Harris would win Tuesday’s race. After having correctly predicted 9 out of the last 10 presidential contests, he got it wrong again Tuesday. Harris lost to Trump.

Although votes were still being counted Wednesday in Arizona and Nevada, Trump received more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed. He was also reportedly leading in the popular votes, having won decisively in the key battleground states of Minnesota, Michigan, and Pennsylvania .

Lichtman told USA Today Wednesday morning that he was taking some time off to assess where he went wrong and see “what the future holds for America.”

The Associated Press called the presidential election outcome in Mississippi in favor of Trump with 61.1 percent of the vote to Harris’ 37.7 percent. The actual number of votes for Trump was 657,385 versus Harris’ total of 405,075. 

Harris called Trump Wednesday afternoon and conceded the presidential race. She also addressed the nation from Howard University late Wednesday.

Harris had said frequently during her campaign that she wanted a peaceful transfer of power regardless of who won. 

CONGRESS RETURNS

Second District Rep. Bennie G. Thompson won handily over Republican challenger Ron Eller. Thompson is the sole Democrat in Mississippi’s Washington delegation.

 “I appreciate the support of the voters in Mississippi’s Second Congressional District. I will continue to vote for improved education, healthcare, highways, and job creation at every opportunity,” Thompson said in a statement Wednesday.

District incumbent Trent Kelly defeated Democrat Dianne Black. District 4 Republican Mike Ezell defeated Black Democrat Craig Raybon. District 3 incumbent Michael Guest ran unopposed. 

U. S. Senate Incumbent Roger Wicker defeated challenger Ty Pinkins by a margin of 53-47.

BLACK WOMAN MAGIC 

Despite Harris’ apparent loss, Black woman magic is still a reality in national politics. Senators-elect Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del) won election Tuesday, and will become the first two Black female senators to serve at the same time. Only three other Black females served in the Senate up to the current election. Carolyn Mosely Braun of Illinois, Vice President Harris, and Laphonza Butler of California were their women predecessors. 

Blunt Rochester and Alsobrooks will become the first two Black women to serve in the U.S. Senate at the same time in history. Both are also the first Black women U.S. Senators to represent each of their states. 

Blunt Rochester first made history in Congress eight years ago as the first Black person and woman elected to represent Delaware. 

Alsobrooks had interned for Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and the Congressional Black Caucus earlier in her career. She was elected state’s attorney for Maryland’s Prince George’s County, and then county executive since 2018.

JUDICIAL RACES 

A runoff for Supreme Court District 1, Position 3, between State Senator Jennifer Branning and incumbent Jim Kitchens is set for November 26 after they came in 1 and 2, respectively in the race with Branning as the top vote-getter with 40 percent.

In the race for Appeals Court, District 5, Position 2, top vote getter Amy St. Pe’ at 35.3 percent of the vote will face either Ian Baker (32.4 percent) or Jennifer Schloegel (32.3 percent). As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, nearly six percent of Tuesday’s vote was still uncounted. 

For Hinds County Judge Subdistrict 2, Bridgette Morgan apparently fell just shy of the 50% plus one vote rule and will face Yemi Kings in the Nov. 26 runoff. Incumbent Peter Teeuwissen came away with less than 18% of the vote. Incumbent Jermal Clark won re-election to the district 3 Hinds County Elections Commissioner post.

PERILS OF PROJECT 2025

With Trump’s victory, Project 2025 has again emerged from the shadows as a threat to a peaceful democracy. 

Trump has said a number of times what he would do on his first day in office, including rounding up suspected undocumented immigrants for mass deportations; “drill, baby, drill” in the oil industry, and going after his political enemies, while acting as “dictator” for one day, and politicizing the federal government to an extent never seen before.