Cindy Hyde-Smith
Republican US senator for Mississippi since 2018; former state agriculture commissioner.
Last refreshed: 5 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Cindy Hyde-Smith
Trailed Colom with the count unfinished
US Midterms 2026: Colom tops Hyde-Smith by under 100 votesMentioned in: Letlow's 15-point lead collapses to a tie
US Midterms 2026Background
Cindy Hyde-Smith has been a US senator for Mississippi since April 2018. On 4 November 2026 she trailed the Democrat Scott Colom by roughly 65 to 100 votes of about 945,600 counted, with both on 48.9% on NBC's count. The race was uncalled.
Governor Phil Bryant appointed Hyde-Smith to Thad Cochran's seat in 2018. She won the special election runoff against Mike Espy that November and beat him again in 2020. She sat in the state Senate from 2000 to 2012, elected as a Democrat before switching to the Republicans in 2010, and was Mississippi's agriculture and commerce commissioner from 2012 to 2018.
No runoff follows: the most votes wins. Counties certify by 13 November and the Secretary of State declares the result on 3 December. Mississippi holds recounts only on a court order, so any dispute over late ballots goes to a judge.
How did Cindy Hyde-Smith become a senator?
Is Cindy Hyde-Smith losing her Senate seat?
Was Cindy Hyde-Smith a Democrat?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 5 November 2026. Editorial standards.