After six years, Mississippi Democrats have broken the Republican Party’s supermajority in the Mississippi Senate. Voters elected Democrats to two seats previously held by Republicans, reducing the number of Republican senators in the upper chamber from 36 to 34—one fewer than necessary to constitute a supermajority.
When a party has supermajority status in the Mississippi Senate, it can more easily override a governor’s veto, propose constitutional amendments and execute certain procedural actions, like reviving dead legislation.
The Mississippi Democratic Party called the victory “a historic rebuke of extremism.”
“Breaking the supermajority means restoring checks and balances—and ensuring that every Mississippian’s voice counts in their state government,” Mississippi Democratic Party Vice Chair Jodie Brown said in a party press release this morning.
In the Mississippi Pine Belt region, Democrat Johnny DuPree won Senate District 45, previously held by Republican Sen. Chris Johnson of Hattiesburg. In North Mississippi, Democrat Theresa Gillespie Isom won the Senate District 2 seat held by Republican Sen. David Parker of Olive Branch, who decided not to run for reelection.
Republicans had held a supermajority in the Senate since the 2019 elections, and have held majorities in both chambers of the Legislature since sweeping the 2011 elections.
In the House, Democrat Justin Crosby also flipped House District 22, defeating incumbent Republican House Rep. Jon Lancaster. That district includes parts of Chickasaw, Clay and Monroe counties.
Groups Credit Voting Rights Act
The victories followed Tuesday’s special legislative elections. Six Senate seats were up for a special election on Tuesday, along with one House seat, because a federal court ordered the State to create more Black-majority legislative districts earlier this year. Two other Senate districts were up for special elections to fill vacated seats, along with a House seat.
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act prohibits racial discrimination in voting and mandates that racial minorities must have an equal opportunity to participate in the election process. That could soon change, however, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed majority appeared inclined to strike down Section 2 during oral arguments in a case last month.
“Last night’s victory proves that Mississippi is no longer a foregone conclusion—we are a battleground state,” Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor said in this morning’s statement. “But this win was only possible because the Voting Rights Act ensures fair representation. If the Supreme Court dismantles these protections, we risk silencing the very voices that made last night’s historic outcome possible. As voters continue to reject Trump’s agenda in 2026 and 2027, we must protect the fundamental right that makes change possible: the right to vote.”
In a press release on Wednesday, the ACLU of Mississippi credited the Voting Rights Act with the results.
“Thanks to the Voting Rights Act, these voters finally had a voice in choosing who represented them in the State Senate and House,” the ACLU said. “When given the opportunity, Black voters came out and voted for change. To be clear, fair legislative maps are good for all Mississippians regardless of race. Both Republican and Democratic legislators too often use the redistricting process to draw districts designed to secure their reelection.”
Republicans Downplay Democratic Wins
In a statement on Wednesday, Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst said that while the election results “were disappointing,” they were “not totally unexpected, as Republicans were underdogs in these gerrymandered districts drawn by an unelected court pursuant to a misapplied federal statute that has been weaponized by interest groups.”
He compared Democratic victories to “scoring points in the fourth quarter while losing the game in a blowout.”
“It may make them feel better, but it doesn’t change the conservative direction or policies in our state legislature led by Republicans,” Hurst said. “While we respect the role of the courts, we will nonetheless keep fighting—through legislation and, when necessary, litigation—for fair, compact election districts that keep communities together and let voters, not judges, decide elections.”
Republican Mississippi Sen. Jeremy England of Vancleave offered a reflective response.
“In the three newly created majority black districts (2 in the Senate and 1 in the House), the Democrat candidates won their races. I know this was the expected outcome—but I am not at all happy that this was the EXPECTED outcome,” England wrote on Facebook. “Race alone should not be such a strong indicator of party affiliation—and that has been a shortfall of my party, the Republican Party, for a long time. We as Republicans have got to get better with minority outreach (and we are thankfully getting better with commitments to do so from current MSGOP leadership).”
Democrats will likely hold 18 Senate seats when the Mississippi Legislature returns to session in January 2026.
Follow more of our special election coverage here.
Correction: This story originally said that Republicans have held a super majority in the Mississippi Senate for 13 years, or since the 2011 elections. Republicans first gained control of both legislative chambers in 2011, but only gained a super majority in the Mississippi Senate in the 2019 elections. We apologize for the error.