Mississippi proved once again Tuesday that is it a conservative state whose residents prefer Republican policies when voters elected GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith – a steadfast supporter of President Trump – to complete the term of former Republican Sen. Thad Cochran.

The president traveled to Mississippi on Monday to campaign for Hyde-Smith and seal the deal for her election, just as did earlier for other Republican senators-elect: Kevin Cramer in North Dakota, Josh Hawley in Missouri, Mike Braun in Indiana and Rick Scott in Florida.

Taking nothing for granted, President Trump went “all in” for Hyde-Smith by holding huge get- out-the-vote rallies first in Tupelo in northern Mississippi and then in Biloxi in the southern part of the state.

Hyde-Smith was appointed to the Senate in the spring by Republican Gov. Phil Bryant to replace Cochran when Cochran retired due to poor health.

Hyde-Smith defeated former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, a Democrat who had served in President Clinton’s Cabinet and who was also a former member of the U.S. House. With 95 percent of precincts reporting, Hyde-Smith was ahead of Espy by a margin of 54.4 to 45.6 percent.

Tuesday’s election was a run-off, required because two other candidates for the Senate who trailed in the Nov. 6 midterm election prevented either Hyde-Smith or Espy from winning a majority of votes.

In voting for Hyde-Smith, Mississippi voters made clear – as they had when they voted for Trump two years earlier – that they want low taxes, secure borders, and judges who defend the Constitution. They want their Second Amendment rights protected and they want a strong American military.

With all eyes on Mississippi in the last federal election of the 2018 election cycle, Hyde-Smith stressed her strong support of President Trump’s America First agenda – and it paid off.

Hyde-Smith’s election increases the Republican majority in the 100-member Senate to 53 seats, up from the current 51 seats. The bigger GOP majority will make it easier for the president’s nominees to the courts and other positions to win Senate confirmation, and increase support for his legislative agenda.

Hyde-Smith now becomes the first woman elected to the Senate from Mississippi.

President Trump carried Mississippi by a commanding 18 percentage points over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race, winning 58 percent to 40 percent.

In the end, liberal Democrat Espy didn’t have much of a chance because Mississippians had a lot of reasons to support President Trump’s candidate.