Cindy Hyde-Smith

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Cindy Hyde-Smith
United States Senator
from Mississippi
Assumed office
April 9, 2018
Serving with Roger Wicker
Appointed byPhil Bryant
Preceded byThad Cochran
7th Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
In office
January 10, 2012 – April 1, 2018
GovernorPhil Bryant
Preceded byLester Spell
Succeeded byAndy Gipson
Member of the Mississippi Senate
from the 39th district
In office
January 4, 2000 – January 10, 2012
Preceded byW. L. Rayborn
Succeeded bySally Doty
Personal details
Born
Cindy Hyde

(1959-05-10) May 10, 1959 (age 64)
Brookhaven, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (2010–present)
Other political
affiliations		Democratic (before 2010)
SpouseMichael Smith
Children1
EducationCopiah–Lincoln Community College
University of Southern Mississippi (BA)

Cindy Hyde-Smith (born May 10, 1959)[1] is an American politician who is the junior United States Senator from Mississippi, in office since April 2018.[2] A member of the Republican Party, she was previously the Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce and a member of the Mississippi State Senate.

In 1999, Hyde-Smith was elected to the Mississippi State Senate as a Democrat. She represented the 39th district from 2000 to 2012. In 2010, Hyde-Smith switched parties and became a Republican, citing her conservative beliefs.[3] When Hyde-Smith was elected Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner in 2011, she became the first woman elected to that office.

On March 21, 2018, Governor Phil Bryant announced his intention to appoint Hyde-Smith to the United States Senate seat being vacated due to the resignation of Thad Cochran.[4] Hyde-Smith was sworn into office on April 9, 2018. She is the first woman to represent Mississippi in Congress.[5]

Hyde-Smith is a candidate in the 2018 U.S. Senate special election for the remainder of Cochran's term, which expires in 2021.[6] She finished first in the "jungle primary" on November 6, 2018, but did not get more than 50% of the vote. She will face Democrat Mike Espy in the run-off election on November 27.

Early life

Hyde-Smith was born in Brookhaven, Mississippi, the daughter of Lorraine Hyde and the late Luther Hyde, and grew up in Monticello, Mississippi. She graduated from Copiah-Lincoln Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi.[7]

Early political career

Hyde-Smith was a member of the Mississippi Senate, representing the 39th District from 2000 to 2012.[8] She had a conservative voting record in the state Senate,[9] and in 2010, she switched parties from Democratic to Republican.[7] Hyde-Smith's switch made the Senate equally divided between Republicans and Democrats, with each holding 26 seats.[9]

Hyde-Smith chaired the Senate Agriculture committee from 2004 to 2012 and was a member of the Appropriations, Constitution, Corrections, Elections, Forestry, Public Health and Welfare, Veterans and Military Affairs, and Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks committees. She was also Vice Chair of the National Agriculture Committee of State Legislators.[7]

Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce

Smith as Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce

Hyde-Smith was elected in 2011 and took office on January 5, 2012.[10]

Hyde-Smith was elected to a second term as commissioner as 2015, defeating Democratic nominee Addie Lee Green.[11]

U.S. Senate

Vice President Mike Pence swears in Smith at the Old Senate Chamber in 2018

Appointment

On March 21, 2018, Governor Phil Bryant announced Hyde-Smith as his choice to fill the United States Senate seat held by Thad Cochran, who indicated he would be resigning the seat at a later date due to ongoing health issues.[12] Cochran resigned on April 1, and Bryant formally appointed Hyde-Smith on April 2.[2] Hyde-Smith became the first woman to represent Mississippi in the United States Congress. The Senate was in a district work period and was not conducting legislative business at that time, so she did not take the oath of office until the Senate reconvened for legislative business on April 9.[13] Hyde-Smith announced that she would seek election to the seat in the 2018 special election on November 6.[14]

Special election campaign, 2018

Main article: United States Senate special election in Mississippi, 2018

The Trump administration reportedly did not support Hyde-Smith's appointment because of her history as a Democrat,[15][16] but in August, Trump endorsed her candidacy.[17] He stumped for Hyde-Smith in suburban north Mississippi.[18]

Hyde-Smith declined to debate her Democratic opponent, Mike Espy, before the November 6 special election; Cochran had often done the same.[19] After she and Espy each finished with about 41 percent of the vote,[20] she agreed to debate Espy on November 20.[21] The run-off election will be held on November 27.[22]

During the run-off campaign, Hyde-Smith joked about attending a public hanging. 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 and public executions 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."[23][24][25][26][27][28]

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."[29][30] 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."[31]

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.[32] 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.[33]

Committee assignments

Political positions

Hyde-Smith identifies herself as a conservative Republican.[35] From 1999 to 2010, she served in elected office as a Democrat. She voted in the Democratic primary in 2008,[36] and described herself as having been a conservative Democrat during her tenure in the state legislature.[37] She switched to the Republican Party in 2010.

In 2012, Hyde-Smith endorsed Republican nominee Mitt Romney for U.S. President.[38] In 2018, as a Republican, she faced a primary challenge from Chris McDaniel, who criticized her past Democratic affiliation. Hyde-Smith responded that she had "always been a conservative" and had the support of Republican Governor Phil Bryant.[39] She highlighted her support for Second Amendment rights, opposition to abortion, and advocacy for the state's defense business.[40]

Through June 2018, Hyde-Smith voted in line with Trump's position more often than any other Republican senator.[41] FiveThirtyEight, which tracks congressional votes, reported that as of October 2018 she had voted with Trump's position 100% of the time.[42] She has mixed ratings from political action committees (PACs) representing a range of views on the ideological spectrum. In 2018, the Conservative Review gave Hyde-Smith a 50% rating and Numbers USA, which opposes illegal immigration and seeks to reduce legal immigration, gave her a 77% score.[43] The American Civil Liberties Union gave her a 0% score and the Mississippi Human Services Coalition, which generally gave Democrats higher scores than most Republicans, gave Hyde-Smith a rating of 33% in 2008 and 56% in 2006.[43]

Fiscal policy

Hyde-Smith describes her economic positions as fiscally conservative.[44]

In 2018, Hyde-Smith was one of 29 Republicans who joined all Democrats in opposing Senator Rand Paul's bill to cut federal spending by 1% over 5 years, known as the Penny Bill.[45] Republican opponents of the bill said it could threaten federal defense and domestic programs.[46] She faced criticism from the bill's supporters.[47]

Hyde-Smith supported the Trump-backed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[48] As a state legislator, she voted in favor of increasing unemployment benefits and in favor of raising taxes on cigarettes.[49] She also voted with all Mississippi Democrats in the state legislature to restore funding that had been previously eliminated due to budget cuts.[50]

Social issues

Hyde-Smith's campaign describes her as a "strong social conservative voting record with a 100 percent pro-life rating [who is] a lifetime member of the NRA."[51] Gun Owners of America, which supports gun owners' rights and is in favor of loosening restrictions on guns, gave her a rating of 50% in 2018.[43]

Hyde-Smith considers herself pro-life and opposes legal abortion.[52] As a state senator, she authored a bill requiring that all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy be performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgical facility; the bill was blocked by federal courts.[53] In 2018, she voted with Senate Republicans to prohibit federal funding from being given to any organization or facility that promotes abortion services or family planning.[54]

In 2018, Hyde-Smith released a statement supporting the Trump administration's travel ban.[55][56] Her campaign website says she supports the construction of a wall along the southern US border.[57]

In 2012, as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Hyde-Smith was personally opposed to a same-sex commitment ceremony at the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum, but instructed the museum to allow it after consulting with Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. She declared she would seek a change in state law and request from the legislature "clear and straightforward definitions about what activities can take place on the property owned by the State of Mississippi."[58]

Personal life

Hyde-Smith is a member of the American Cancer Society, the Junior Auxiliary, Hospice, the Mississippi Cattleman's Association, the Mississippi Wildlife Federation, the National Rifle Association, Mississippi National Guard Legislative Caucus, and the Copiah Lincoln Community College Foundation Board.[59]

She is married to a cattle farmer, Mike, and they have one daughter, Anna Michael. They are active members of Macedonia Baptist Church.

Electoral history

2003

Mississippi State Senate 39th district Democratic primary election, 2003
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Cindy Hyde-Smith (incumbent) 11,944 65.47
Democratic W. L. Rayborn 6,299 34.53
Mississippi State Senate 39th district election, 2003
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Cindy Hyde-Smith (incumbent) 18,091 100.00

2007

Mississippi State Senate 39th district election, 2007
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Cindy Hyde-Smith (incumbent) 12,844 79.45
Republican Edwin Case 3,323 20.55

2011

Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Republican primary election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith 144,873 52.93
Republican Max Phillips 96,049 35.09
Republican Dannie Reed 32,809 11.99
Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith 493,417 56.91
Democratic Joel Gill 352,213 40.63
Reform Cathy Toole 21,347 2.46

2015

Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith (incumbent) 433,295 61.47
Democratic Addie Lee Green 256,766 36.43
Reform Cathy Toole 14,852 2.11

References

  1. ^ "Gov. Phil Bryant to appoint Cindy Hyde-Smith to Senate seat, but some in GOP are worried".
  2. ^ a b "Senators of the United States 1789–present, A chronological list of senators since the First Congress in 1789" (PDF). Senate Historical Office. April 12, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  3. ^ "Sen. Hyde-Smith joins Republicans - Daily Leader". Daily Leader. December 28, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  4. ^ The Washington Post. "Miss. governor names Cindy Hyde-Smith to replace GOP Sen. Thad Cochran. She will be first female U.S. senator from state". Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  5. ^ "Hyde-Smith becomes first woman to represent Mississippi in Congress". CNN. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  6. ^ "5 candidates now in special US Senate race in Mississippi". AP News. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  7. ^ a b c "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith". www.senate.gov. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  8. ^ "Hyde-Smith: Profile". Newspapers.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Sen. Hyde-Smith joins Republicans, Daily Leader (December 28, 2010).
  10. ^ Thompson, Marsha. "State-wide elected officials sworn in". Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  11. ^ Mississippi statewide, regional general election results: Initiative 42 rejected, Associated Press (November 4, 2015).
  12. ^ Mangan, Dan (March 5, 2018). "Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran says he will resign April 1, cites health issues". CNBC. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  13. ^ "Congressional Record - Orders for Monday, March 26, 2018, Through Monday, April 9, 2018". www.congress.gov.
  14. ^ "Mississippi names first female U.S. senator from state". Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  15. ^ "White House opposed Republican picked to replace Cochran". POLITICO. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  16. ^ "Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant seeks Trump support for Senate appointee Cindy Hyde-Smith". KYTX. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  17. ^ "Trump tweets 'total endorsement' for Mississippi senator". Washington Post. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  18. ^ Douglas, William. (October 1, 2018). "Mississippi’s Hyde-Smith is selling her D.C. ties and getting Trump’s help." DC McClatchy website Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  19. ^ Amy, Jeff. Associated Press reporter. (7 October 2018). "Analysis: Debates might aid voters, but candidates pass". Houston Chronicle website Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  20. ^ "Mississippi U.S. Senate Special Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  21. ^ Ramseth, Luke; Pender, Geoff (November 8, 2018). "Cindy Hyde-Smith agrees to Senate runoff debate; Mike Espy wants more details of format". Mississippi Clarion Ledger. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  22. ^ Scott, Dylan (November 6, 2018). "Cindy Hyde-Smith and Mike Espy advance to Mississippi Senate runoff election". Vox. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  23. ^ "Hyde-Smith jokes about hangings in viral tweet". The Clarion Ledger. November 11, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  24. ^ "Hyde-Smith's 'Public Hanging' Quip Bombs in State with Most Lynchings". Jackson Free Press. November 11, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  25. ^ Danner, Chas (November 11, 2018). "Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith Joked About Going to a 'Public Hanging'". New York Media LLC. The Intelligencer. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  26. ^ McCarthy, Waverly (November 11, 2018). "VIDEO: Cindy Hyde-Smith jokes about sitting in "front row" of "public hanging"". WLBT License Subsidiary, LLC. WLBT. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  27. ^ Sullivan, Kate (November 12, 2018). "GOP Mississippi senator facing criticism over comment about 'public hanging'". Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  28. ^ Zwirz, Elizabeth (November 11, 2018). "Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith's Democratic opponent Mike Espy slams 'public hanging' remark as 'reprehensible'". Fox News. Fox News Network LLC. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  29. ^ "Senator deflects over 'public hanging' comment". Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System. November 12, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  30. ^ "Mississippi GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith mum on 'public hanging' remark". NBC News. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  31. ^ "Governor Calls Abortion 'Black Genocide,' Defends Hyde-Smith on 'Hanging' Tape". Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  32. ^ Brice-Saddler, Michael (November 16, 2018). "GOP senator: It's a 'great idea' to make it harder for 'liberal folks' to vote". Washington Post. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  33. ^ "Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks in video about making it "more difficult" for liberals to vote". CBS News. Associated Press. November 16, 2018.
  34. ^ "Hyde-Smith gets committee assignments". ABC 11 Newscenter. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  35. ^ "Cindy Hyde-Smith swearing in gives US Senate historic number of women". ABC News. ABC News. April 9, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  36. ^ "Chris McDaniel: Cindy Hyde-Smith has 'ideological amnesia' on 2008 presidential vote". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  37. ^ "White House has unease over Cindy Hyde-Smith Senate appointment; Phil Bryant hopes to sway Donald Trump". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  38. ^ "Mitt Romney Announces Support of Mississippi Lt. Governor Reeves and Other Leaders". April 10, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  39. ^ "GOP leans on party switchers to keep the Senate". POLITICO. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  40. ^ Lesniewski, Niels; Lesniewski, Niels (March 21, 2018). "Cindy Hyde-Smith Gets Appointment to Mississippi Senate Seat". Roll Call. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  41. ^ Jr., Perry Bacon (June 28, 2018). "Will Any Republicans Vote Against Trump's Eventual Supreme Court Pick?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  42. ^ Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  43. ^ a b c "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  44. ^ "Cindy Hyde-Smith to be first woman to represent Mississippi in Congress". Mississippi Today. March 21, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  45. ^ "Rand Paul's 'Penny Plan' gets voted down – was it a real thing or a show vote? | Mississippi Politics and News - Y'all Politics". yallpolitics.com. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  46. ^ "Rand Paul's 'Penny Plan' gets voted down – was it a real thing or a show vote? | Mississippi Politics and News - Y'all Politics". yallpolitics.com. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  47. ^ Bedillion, Caleb. "Hyde-Smith joins with GOP majority to defeat Rand Paul budget plan". Daily Journal. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  48. ^ Holter, Lauren. "What To Know About The First Woman EVER To Represent Mississippi In Congress". Bustle. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  49. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  50. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  51. ^ "Mississippi's First Female Senator Takes Office Needing To Win Over Her Own Party". NPR.org. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  52. ^ "Cindy Hyde-Smith campaign releases first web video, "Integrity"". yallpolitics.com. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  53. ^ "Pro-Life News in Brief". www.nrlc.org. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  54. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  55. ^ McCarthy, Waverly. "Bennie Thompson, Cindy Hyde-Smith release statements on upholding of travel ban". Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  56. ^ McCarthy, Waverly. "Bennie Thompson, Cindy Hyde-Smith release statements on upholding of travel ban". Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  57. ^ "Stopping Illegal Immigration". Cindy Hyde-Smith for United States Senate. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  58. ^ "Ag Head Unhappy About Same-Sex Reversal, Vows to Pass New Law". Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  59. ^ "Qualifications & Vision". cindyhydesmith.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

Mississippi State Senate
Preceded by
W. L. Rayborn
 Member of the Mississippi Senate
from the 39th district
2000–2012 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Lester Spell
 Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
2012–2018 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 2) from Mississippi
2018–present
Served alongside: Roger Wicker 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Mississippi
(Class 2)
2018 		Most recent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Senators by seniority
99th 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cindy_Hyde-Smith&oldid=869474682"