MS Senate: Cindy Hyde-Smith (R)
PROFILE
About Hyde-Smith:
Cindy Hyde-Smith is a member of the U.S Senate from Mississippi. She assumed office in 2018 and will be seeking re-election on November 3, 2020. The senator was appointed by Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant in a special run-off election to finish former Sen. Thad Cochran’s term, which will end on January 3, 2021.
In the 116th Congress, Hyde-Smith serves on the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Committee on Rules and Administration.
Prior to joining the U.S Senate, Hyde-Smith was elected Mississippi’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce in 2011 and won re-election in 2015. During her time as Mississippi’s Agriculture Commissioner, Hyde-Smith worked to ensure fairness and equity in the marketplace and protect Mississippians through sound regulatory practices. She successfully streamlined government regulations to ease the financial burden on Mississippi farmers and small businesses.
Hyde-Smith also was a member of the Mississippi State Senate, serving the 39th Senatorial District from 2000 to 2012. Hyde-Smith initially was affiliated with the Democratic Party when she joined the Mississippi State Senate in 2000 but switched her party affiliation to the Republican Party in 2010.
The senator has been recognized for her agricultural leadership with awards from the American Conservative Union Foundation and from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Hyde-Smith also has received numerous awards and honors for her work as a state legislator and champion of agriculture, including the highest grade for a strong pro-business and fiscally conservative voting record from the Business and Industry Political Education Committee.
Hyde-Smith resides in Brookhaven, Miss., with her husband and daughter. Hyde-Smith’s family is a fifth-generation farming family and raises beef cattle on their farm.
