Cindy Hyde-Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cindy Hyde-Smith
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Official portrait, 2021
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| United States Senator from Mississippi |
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| Assumed office April 2, 2018 Serving with Roger Wicker
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| Preceded by | Thad Cochran |
| 7th Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce | |
| In office January 10, 2012 – April 1, 2018 |
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| Governor | Phil Bryant |
| Preceded by | Lester Spell |
| Succeeded by | Andy Gipson |
| Member of the Mississippi State Senate from the 39th district |
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| In office January 4, 2000 – January 10, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | W. L. Rayborn |
| Succeeded by | Sally Doty |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Cindy Hyde
May 10, 1959 Brookhaven, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (2010–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (until 2010) |
| Spouse |
Michael Smith
(m. 1996) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Copiah–Lincoln Community College (AA) University of Southern Mississippi (BA) |
Cindy Hyde-Smith (born May 10, 1959) is an American politician. She is currently a U.S. Senator for Mississippi. She has been a senator since 2018. Before that, she was Mississippi's Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. She also served in the Mississippi State Senate.
Cindy Hyde-Smith was born in Brookhaven, Mississippi. She went to Copiah–Lincoln Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi. In 1999, she was elected to the Mississippi State Senate as a Democrat. She represented the 39th district from 2000 to 2012. In 2010, she changed her political party to Republican. She said her beliefs were more in line with the Republican Party. In 2011, she became the first woman elected as Mississippi agriculture commissioner. She was reelected in 2015.
On March 21, 2018, Governor Phil Bryant chose Hyde-Smith to fill a U.S. Senate seat. The previous senator, Thad Cochran, had resigned. Hyde-Smith was sworn in on April 9, 2018. She is the first woman to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Congress. She ran in a special election in 2018 to keep the seat. She won the runoff election against Mike Espy. This made her the first woman elected to Congress from Mississippi.
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Early Life and Education
Cindy Hyde-Smith was born in Brookhaven, Mississippi. She grew up in Monticello, Mississippi. She went to Lawrence County Academy. This school was created during a time when some schools separated students by race. The school's team mascot was "Col. Reb" and it used a Confederate flag.
Hyde-Smith earned a degree from Copiah–Lincoln Community College. She then got a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Her studies were in criminal justice and political science. She is one of the few U.S. senators who attended a community college. After college, she worked as a lobbyist. She worked for groups that supported safer highways and healthcare.
Serving in the Mississippi Senate
Hyde-Smith was a member of the Mississippi Senate. She represented the 39th District from 2000 to 2012. During her time there, she led the Senate Agriculture Committee. Her colleagues encouraged her to run for Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture. She was known for her conservative views in the state Senate. Many of her proposed bills became law.
In 2001, Hyde-Smith suggested naming a part of Highway 51 after Jefferson Davis. He was the president of the Confederacy. This bill did not pass. She also voted for resolutions honoring civil rights leaders. These included Medgar Evers and Hiram Rhodes Revels. In 2009, she tried to limit the government's power to take private land for private business. This effort was not successful.
On December 28, 2010, Hyde-Smith announced a big change. She switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. This made the Mississippi Senate evenly split between the two parties.
Senate Elections
Hyde-Smith first ran for the Mississippi Senate in 1999. She defeated the 20-year incumbent, W. L. Rayborn, in the Democratic primary. She then won the general election. In 2003, she won reelection against Rayborn again. She was unopposed in the general election that year. In 2007, she won reelection once more. This was her last election in that Senate district.
Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
In January 2011, Hyde-Smith decided to run for Mississippi's Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. She won the Republican nomination. Then, she won the general election in November. She became the first woman to hold this important position. She started her job on January 5, 2012.
In 2012, she helped farmers deal with a large insect problem. The EPA approved a special plan to help. In 2013, she helped get funding for a big project. This project was to renovate the Mississippi Coliseum. She was reelected as Commissioner in 2015. She started her second term in January 2016.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
On March 21, 2018, Governor Phil Bryant chose Cindy Hyde-Smith to be a U.S. Senator. She filled the seat left by Senator Thad Cochran. She officially took the oath of office on April 9, 2018. This made her the first woman to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Congress. She quickly announced she would run in the special election to keep the seat.
Senate Elections
2018 Special Election
In the 2018 special election, Hyde-Smith faced challenges. She was criticized for her past as a Democrat. However, she stated she had always been a conservative. President Donald Trump supported her campaign. She won the first round of voting but didn't get over 50%. This led to a runoff election against Mike Espy.
During the runoff campaign, some controversial videos of Hyde-Smith appeared. In one, she said it would be "a great idea" to make it harder for some people to vote. Her campaign said she was joking. News reports also mentioned her past school and her daughter's school. These schools were created to avoid racial integration. The runoff election was held on November 27. Hyde-Smith won against Espy.
2020 Election
In January 2020, Hyde-Smith decided to run for a full term as senator. She won the Republican primary without opposition. She then defeated Mike Espy again in the general election. She won by about ten percentage points.
Key Actions and Committees
As a U.S. Senator, Cindy Hyde-Smith has voted on important issues. She voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
On January 6, 2021, she was at the U.S. Capitol when it was stormed by protesters. She and other senators had to be moved to a safe place. She later said the rioters were "criminals" who should be punished.
She serves on several important committees in the Senate:
- Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
- Committee on Appropriations
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
- Committee on Rules and Administration
Political Views
Hyde-Smith describes herself as a conservative Republican. She was a Democrat until 2010. She said she was a "conservative Democrat" during her time in the state legislature.
She has voted with Donald Trump's political views most of the time. She has also voted with President Joe Biden's views some of the time.
Voting and Elections
In 2021, Hyde-Smith opposed a bill that would expand voting rights. She said it would harm voter identification laws in Mississippi. She also spoke against allowing people to vote on Sunday.
Money and Economy
Hyde-Smith believes in fiscally conservative policies. This means she generally supports lower government spending. She supported the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. This law cut taxes for many people and businesses.
She has supported bills to help farmers and truckers. For example, she supported a bill to make it easier for livestock haulers to rest during long trips. She also supported a bill to help the trucking and farming industries.
Healthcare
Hyde-Smith does not support the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). She believes it has not worked well for Mississippi. She wants to repeal it. However, she says she supports keeping parts of the law that protect people with existing health conditions.
She has also supported bills to improve palliative care. This is special care for people with serious illnesses. She also supported funding for Community Health Centers. These centers provide healthcare to many Americans.
Social Issues
In 2018, Hyde-Smith supported a travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries. Her campaign website says she supports building a wall on the southern U.S. border.
In 2012, she was against a same-sex commitment ceremony at a state-owned museum. However, she allowed it after talking with the state's Attorney General. In 2022, she voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. This law protects same-sex marriage rights across the country.
Confederate History
In 2007, Hyde-Smith voted for a resolution that praised a Confederate States Army soldier. She also suggested naming a state highway after Confederate President Jefferson Davis. In 2014, she posted a photo of herself at Davis's home. She was wearing a Confederate cap and holding a rifle. Her caption said, "Mississippi history at its best!"
Donald Trump
Hyde-Smith voted to acquit President Donald Trump in both of his impeachment trials. This means she voted that he was not guilty of the charges against him.
Personal Life
Cindy Hyde-Smith is married to Mike Smith, who is a cattle farmer. They are members of the Macedonia Baptist Church. They have one daughter who graduated in 2017.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2021
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Smith as Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
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Vice President Mike Pence swears in Smith at the Old Senate Chamber in 2018
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Hyde-Smith during the 115th United States Congress
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Hyde-Smith during the 117th United States Congress
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Hyde-Smith and Brett Kavanaugh in July 2018
