Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith has won her re-election bid in Mississippi and will begin her first full term as a U.S. Senator. She is the first woman to represent Mississippi on Capitol Hill.
During the rematch of the 2018 special election, Hyde-Smith ran a low-key campaign, not accepting offers to debate Mike Espy on the campaign trail. She attributes this to a busy schedule in Washington.
While at an annual Hobnob event in Jackson, Hyde-Smith discussed her plans for the office if she was re-elected. She says she wants to bring more revenue to Mississippi. "I am focused on uniting Mississippians and doing what I can to help our state restore the economic growth, safely reopen the economy, improving healthcare and continuing to educate our children as well as we get past the pandemic," said Hyde-Smith.
Hyde-Smith ran in 2018 against Mike Espy after the resignation of former Senator Thad Cochran. She won the election by seven points in a November special election. The election in 2018 is arguably remembered most for its race-related controversies that drew national attention and references to Mississippi’s dark past and violent history of lynchings.
A video posted on social media showed Hyde-Smith at a campaign event praising a local supporter, saying she would be front row if he invited her to a public hanging. After the video went viral, she initially refused to apologize for her comment but later said it was an “exaggerated expression... and any attempt to turn this into a negative connotation is ridiculous.”
Experts attribute these comments to low fundraising turnout for Hyde-Smith during the 2020 campaign. President Donald J. Trump endorsed Hyde-Smith for re-election.
Cindy Hyde-Smith is the former Agriculture Commissioner for Mississippi (2012-2018).