# 2018 United States Senate special election in Mississippi

Elections in Mississippi :
Federal government
U.S. President
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
Dem
2004
2008
Dem
Rep
2012
Dem
Rep
2016
Dem
Rep
2020
Dem
Rep
2024
Dem
Rep
U.S. Senate
1817
1820
1820 sp
1823
1823
1826 sp
1828
1830 sp
1833 sp
1835
1838
1839 sp
1841
1844
1846 sp
1848 sp
1850
1852 sp
1852 sp
1854 sp
1859
1870
1874
1874 sp
1876
1880
1883
1886
1886 sp
1889
1892
1894 sp
1899
1900
1900 sp
1904
1906
1908
1910 sp
1912
1916
1918
1922
1924
1928
1930
1934
1936
1940
1941 sp
1942
1946
1947 sp
1948
1952
1954
1958
1960
1964
1966
1970
1972
1976
1978
1982
1984
1988
1990
1994
1996
2000
2002
2006
2008
2008 sp
2012
2014
2018
2018 sp
2020
2024
2026
U.S. House
1801
1802
(Terr sp)
1806
1817
1819
1820
1822
1824
1826
At-large sp
1828
At-large sp
1830
1832
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1858
5th sp
1859
1865
1868
1869
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1934
1940
1942
1946
1950
1956
1962
1968
3rd sp
1972
1980
1981
4th sp
1982
1984
1986
1988
1989
5th sp
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2004
2006
2008
1st sp
2010
2012
2014
2015
1st sp
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
State elections
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2020
2023
Gubernatorial elections
1817
1819
1821
1823
1825
1827
1829
1831
1833
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1869
1873
1877
1881
1885
1889
1895
1899
1903
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1927
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
2027
State Senate elections
2011
2015
2019
2023
House of Representatives elections
2011
2015
2019
2023
Attorney General elections
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Ballot measures
2001
Flag referendum
2004
Amendment 1
2020
Initiative 65
Measure 3 :
City of Jackson
Mayoral elections
2005
2009
2013
2014
2017
2021
2025 :
Gulfport
Mayoral elections
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Southaven
Mayoral elections
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Biloxi
Mayoral elections
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Hattiesburg
Mayoral elections
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025 :
Meridian
Mayoral elections
2025 :
Olive Branch
Mayoral elections
2025 :
Tupelo
Mayoral elections
2025 :
Madison
Mayoral elections
2025 :
Philadelphia
Mayoral elections
2025 :
vte :
The 2018 United States Senate special election in Mississippi took place on November 6, 2018, in order to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Mississippi. On April 1, 2018, a U.S. Senate vacancy was created when Republican senator Thad Cochran resigned due to health concerns. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant appointed Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith to fill the vacancy. Hyde-Smith sought election to serve the balance of Cochran's term, which was scheduled to expire in January 2021.
On November 6, 2018, per Mississippi law, a nonpartisan top-two special general election took place on the same day as the regularly scheduled U.S. Senate election for the seat then held by Roger Wicker. Party affiliations were not printed on the ballot. Because no candidate gained a simple majority of the vote, a runoff between the top two candidates, Hyde-Smith and Mike Espy, was held on November 27, 2018. Hyde-Smith defeated Espy, 53.63%-46.37%.
The victory made Hyde-Smith the first woman ever elected to Congress from Mississippi.

## Candidates

* Note: Special elections in Mississippi are officially nonpartisan; however, each candidate's political party affiliation is indicated below.

### Declared

* Tobey Bartee (Democratic Party), former Gautier city councilman
* Mike Espy (Democratic Party), former United States Secretary of Agriculture and former U.S. Representative
* Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican Party), incumbent U.S. Senator and former Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
* Chris McDaniel (Republican Party), state senator and candidate for this seat in 2014

### Declined

* Jeramey Anderson, state representative (running for MS-4) (Democratic Party)
* David Baria, Mississippi House of Representatives Minority Leader (running for Class 1 U.S. Senate seat) (Democratic Party)
* Phil Bryant, governor of Mississippi (Republican Party)
* Jamie Franks, chairman of the Lee County Democratic Party and former state representative (Democratic Party)
* Andy Taggart, former chief of staff to former governor Kirk Fordice (Republican Party)

### Withdrawn

* Jason Shelton, mayor of Tupelo (Democratic Party)

## General election
### Endorsements
#### Executive branch officials

* Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States

#### Senators

* Thad Cochran, former U.S. Senator (R-MS)
* Joni Ernst, U.S. Senator (R-IA)
* Lindsey Graham, U.S. Senator (R-SC)
* Trent Lott, former Senate Majority Leader and U.S. Senator (R-MS)
* Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator (R-MS)

#### US representatives

* Gregg Harper, U.S. Representative (MS-3)
* Trent Kelly, U.S. Representative (MS-1)
* Steven Palazzo, U.S. Representative (MS-4)

#### Governors

* Haley Barbour, former governor of Mississippi
* Phil Bryant, governor of Mississippi

#### Statewide officials

* Mike Chaney, Insurance Commissioner of Mississippi
* Lynn Fitch, State Treasurer of Mississippi
* Philip Gunn, Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives
* Delbert Hosemann, Mississippi Secretary of State
* Stacey Pickering, State Auditor of Mississippi
* Tate Reeves, Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi

#### Political operatives

* Henry Barbour, Republican National Committeeman for Mississippi
* Jeanne Luckey, Republican National Committeewoman for Mississippi

#### Organizations

* Mississippi Manufacturers Association
* National Association of Realtors
* National Right to Life Committee
* NRA Political Victory Fund
* Susan B. Anthony List
* U.S. Chamber of Commerce

#### US Representatives

* Ron Paul, former U.S. Representative (TX-14)

#### State legislators

* Dana Criswell, state representative
* Steve Hopkins, state representative
* Tony Smith, former state senator

#### Political operatives

* Tommy Barnett, treasurer of Remember Mississippi super PAC
* Grant Sowell, chair of the Tupelo Tea Party
* Laura Van Overschelde, chair of the Mississippi Tea Party

#### Individuals

* Tommy Ferrell, former president of the National Sheriffs' Association
* Bryan Fischer, host of the American Family Association's conservative talk radio program Focal Point
* Lars Larson, talk radio show host
* Mark Levin, lawyer, author, and radio personality
* Kelli Ward, former Arizona State Senator and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2016 and 2018

#### Organizations

* Adams County GOP Executive Committee
* Americans for Legal Immigration PAC
* Gun Owners of America
* Jones County GOP Executive Committee
* Panola County GOP Executive Committee
* Tate County GOP Executive Committee

#### Executive branch officials

* Joe Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States
* Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States

#### Senators

* Cory Booker, U.S. Senator (D-NJ)
* Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator (D-CA)
* Brian Schatz, U.S. Senator (D-HI)
* Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator (D-MA)

#### US representatives

* Ayanna Pressley, U.S. Representative-elect (MA-7)
* Terri Sewell, U.S. Representative (AL-7)
* Bennie Thompson, U.S. Representative (MS-2)

#### Governors

* Deval Patrick, former governor of Massachusetts

#### Statewide officials

* Jim Hood, Mississippi Attorney General

#### Mayors

* Eric Garcetti, mayor of Los Angeles
* Mitch Landrieu, former mayor of New Orleans

#### Individuals

* Wesley Clark, U.S. Army general and presidential candidate in 2004
* Alyssa Milano, actress and activist

#### Organizations

* Democracy for America

### Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of October 12, 2018 :
| Candidate | Total receipts | Total disbursements | Cash on hand |
| Cindy Hyde-Smith | $1,654,032 | $264,232 | $1,389,799 |
| Mike Espy | $408,236 | $126,760 | $281,476 |
| Chris McDaniel | $327,263 | $171,208 | $156,054 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission ||||

### Polling

Graphical summary
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Cindy Hyde-Smith | Mike Espy | Chris McDaniel | Tobey Bartee | Other | Undecided |
| Change Research (D) | November 2–4, 2018 | 1,003 | – | 27% | 40% | 28% | 1% | – | – |
| NBC News/Marist | October 13–18, 2018 | 511 LV | ± 6.1% | 38% | 29% | 15% | 2% | <1% | 15% |
| NBC News/Marist | October 13–18, 2018 | 856 RV | ± 4.7% | 36% | 28% | 14% | 3% | 1% | 17% |
| SurveyMonkey | September 9–24, 2018 | 985 | ± 4.3% | 24% | 25% | 19% | 4% | – | 27% |
| Neighborhood Research Corporation (R-Courageous Conservatives PAC) | August 22–23 and 27–30, 2018 | 304 | ± 5.0% | 27% | 28% | 18% | – | – | 27% |
| The Mellman Group (D-Espy) | August 1–7, 2018 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 29% | 27% | 17% | – | – | – |
| Triumph Campaigns | July 30–31, 2018 | 2,100 | ± 3.5% | 41% | 27% | 15% | 1% | – | 16% |
| GS Strategy Group (U.S. Chamber of Commerce) | May 1–3, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 30% | 22% | 17% | – | 4% | – |
| Triumph Campaigns | April 10–11, 2018 | 1,000 | ± 3.0% | 33% | 33% | 13% | – | 6% | 15% |
| Chism Strategies (D-Espy) | March 27, 2018 | 603 | ± 4.0% | 27% | 34% | 21% | – | – | 18% |

### Results

United States Senate special election in Mississippi, 2018 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Cindy Hyde-Smith (incumbent) | Cindy Hyde-Smith (incumbent) | 389,995 | 41.25% |
| Mike Espy | Mike Espy | 386,742 | 40.90% |
| Chris McDaniel | Chris McDaniel | 154,878 | 16.38% |
| Tobey Bartee | Tobey Bartee | 13,852 | 1.47% |
| Total votes | Total votes | 945,467 | 100% |

## Runoff

During the runoff campaign, while appearing with cattle rancher Colin Hutchinson in Tupelo, Mississippi, Hyde-Smith said, "If he invited me to a public hanging, I'd be in the front row." Hyde-Smith's comment immediately drew harsh criticism, given Mississippi's notorious history of lynchings of African-Americans. In response to the criticism, Hyde-Smith downplayed her comment as "an exaggerated expression of regard" and characterized the backlash as "ridiculous."
Hyde-Smith joined Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant at a news conference in Jackson, Mississippi on November 12, 2018, where she was asked repeatedly about her comment by reporters. In the footage, Hyde-Smith adamantly refused to provide any substantive answer to reporters' questions, responding on five occasions with variations of, "I put out a statement yesterday, and that's all I'm gonna say about it." When reporters redirected questions to Bryant, he defended Hyde-Smith's comment, and changed the subject to abortion, saying he was "confused about where the outrage is at about 20 million African American children that have been aborted."
On November 15, 2018, Hyde-Smith appeared in a video clip saying that it would be "a great idea" to make it more difficult for liberals to vote. Her campaign stated that Hyde-Smith was making an obvious joke, and the video was selectively edited. Both this and the "public hanging" video were released by Lamar White Jr., a Louisiana blogger and journalist. Attention was also drawn to photographs, posted on Facebook four years earlier, of Hyde-Smith and her husband visiting former Confederate President Jefferson Davis' home, a historic site. The photos show her wearing a Confederate hat and posing with a rifle commonly used by Confederate soldiers.

### Debate

2018 United States Senate election in Mississippi runoff debate :
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Democratic |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | | |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Cindy Hyde-Smith | Mike Espy |
| 1 | November 20, 2018 | Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation | Maggie Wade | | P | P |

### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Lean R | October 26, 2018 |
| Inside Elections | Likely R | November 20, 2018 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely R | November 5, 2018 |
| Fox News | Lean R | October 10, 2018 |
| CNN | Safe R | October 12, 2018 |
| RealClearPolitics | Likely R | October 12, 2018 |
| FiveThirtyEight | Lean R | November 5, 2018 |

### Polling

Graphical summary
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Cindy Hyde-Smith | Mike Espy | Other | Undecided |
| Change Research (D) | November 25, 2018 | 1,211 | – | 51% | 46% | – | – |
| JMC Analytics/Bold Blue Campaigns (D) | November 19–21 and 23–24, 2018 | 684 | ± 4.0% | 54% | 44% | – | 1% |
| NBC News/Marist | October 13–18, 2018 | 511 LV | ± 6.1% | 50% | 36% | 1% | 13% |
| NBC News/Marist | October 13–18, 2018 | 856 RV | ± 4.7% | 47% | 38% | 1% | 14% |
| The Mellman Group (D-Espy) | August 1–7, 2018 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 38% | 41% | – | – |
| Triumph Campaigns | July 30–31, 2018 | 2,100 | ± 3.5% | 48% | 34% | – | 18% |
| Mason-Dixon | April 12–14, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 46% | 34% | – | 20% |
| Triumph Campaigns | April 10–11, 2018 | 1,000 | ± 3.0% | 42% | 36% | – | 23% |
Hypothetical polling :
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Chris McDaniel | Mike Espy | Other | Undecided |
| Marist College | October 13–18, 2018 | 511 LV | ± 6.1% | 36% | 43% | 2% | 19% |
| Marist College | October 13–18, 2018 | 856 RV | ± 4.7% | 35% | 43% | 2% | 19% |
| The Mellman Group (D–Espy) | August 1–7, 2018 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 27% | 45% | – | – |
| Triumph Campaigns | July 30–31, 2018 | 2,100 | ± 3.5% | 26% | 41% | – | 33% |
| Mason-Dixon | April 12–14, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 40% | 42% | – | 18% |
| Triumph Campaigns | April 10–11, 2018 | 1,000 | ± 3.0% | 24% | 43% | – | 33% |

### Results

United States Senate special election runoff in Mississippi, 2018 :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ± |
| Cindy Hyde-Smith (incumbent) | Cindy Hyde-Smith (incumbent) | 486,769 | 53.63% | -6.27% |
| Mike Espy | Mike Espy | 420,819 | 46.37% | +8.48% |
| Total votes | Total votes | 907,588 | 100% | N/A |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Adams (largest city: Natchez)
* Copiah (largest city: Hazlehurst)
* Issaquena (largest city: Mayersville)
* Lowndes (largest city: Columbus)
* Oktibbeha (largest city: Starkville)
* Panola (largest city: Batesville)
* Pike (largest city: McComb)
* Warren (largest city: Vicksburg)
* Yazoo (largest city: Yazoo City)

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Benton (largest municipality: Ashland)
* Prentiss (largest city: Booneville)

#### By congressional district

Hyde-Smith won three of four congressional districts.
| District | Hyde-Smith | Espy | Representative |
| 1st | 61% | 39% | Trent Kelly |
| 2nd | 32% | 68% | Bennie Thompson |
| 3rd | 58% | 42% | Michael Guest |
| 4th | 65% | 35% | Steven Palazzo |