A Republican candidate supported by US President Donald Trump has won a US Senate seat in Mississippi, after a race overshadowed by racial acrimony.
Cindy Hyde-Smith beat African-American Democratic candidate Mike Espy with an estimated 55% share of the vote.
Her victory follows a divisive campaign after a video recording was released early this month showing Ms Hyde-Smith telling a supporter she would happily attend a public hanging.
Her comments were widely interpreted as alluding to Mississippi's history of lynchings and other racist violence.
She initially refused to apologise for the hanging remark, but said in a debate last week that she was sorry "for anyone that was offended".
Several businesses, including giant retailer Walmart, had demanded Ms Hyde-Smith return their donations after the comment.
She sparked further controversy when she was shown on another video joking about suppressing liberal student votes, and photographs surfaced of her posing with Confederate artefacts in 2014.
Ms Hyde-Smith's victory means Republicans will hold a 53-47 majority in the new US Senate that convenes in January.
"Congratulations to Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on your big WIN in the Great State of Mississippi," Mr Trump tweeted.
Congratulations to Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on your big WIN in the Great State of Mississippi. We are all very proud of you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2018
Mr Trump held a pair of 11th-hour campaign rallies in Mississippi to prop up Ms Hyde-Smith's campaign.
