In the first year of his second term, albeit nonconsecutive, Republican President Donald Trump is wasting no time getting involved in future Mississippi elections.
While most voters are currently engrossed by upcoming municipal races in their respective corners of the state, federal races will line the ballot in 2026 – including U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith along with U.S. Reps. Trent Kelly, Bennie Thompson, Michael Guest, and Mike Ezell having a chance to seek reelection.
Hyde-Smith, a Republican who first confirmed to SuperTalk Mississippi News in March 2024 that she’s seeking reelection in 2026, received a ringing endorsement from Trump on Wednesday.
“Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is 100% MAGA and doing a fantastic job representing the Incredible People of Mississippi!” reads a portion of a post by Trump on his self-owned Truth Social platform. “Senator Cindy-Hyde Smith has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election – SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Upon announcing her intent to seek reelection, Hyde-Smith said, “I hope that I’ll have President Donald Trump helping me campaign,” predicting Trump would win a second term. He did, and in line with endorsements of Hyde-Smith during the 2018 and 2020 election cycles, the president was quick to reiterate his support of the Mississippi senator heading into midterm elections.
Hyde-Smith, who has returned the favor with endorsements of Trump during his 2016, 2020, and 2024 bids for president, has formed a working relationship with the president. She was even rumored to be on the short list of candidates for secretary of agriculture, a position that ultimately went to Brooke Rollins.
Formerly serving as commissioner of agriculture and commerce in her home state, Hyde-Smith was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Gov. Phil Bryant in April 2018, following the resignation of longtime Sen. Thad Cochran. After a four-month stint, she defeated former state Sen. Chris McDaniel in the Republican primary and former Bill Clinton cabinet member Mike Espy in a special election that fall.
In 2020, Hyde-Smith filed to run for her first full term, later defeating Espy again in the general election. The win secured her first full, six-year term representing Mississippi in the Senate.
During her time in Congress, Hyde-Smith has worked on the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Committee on Rules and Administration, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. She is also chair of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus.
Hyde-Smith’s seat in the Senate will be the chamber’s only one on the 2026 ballot in Mississippi but one of 35 nationwide as Republicans work to maintain a majority. She has already drawn one challenger, Democrat Ty Pinkins. The U.S. Army veteran and Delta-based attorney ran last November against Sen. Roger Wicker, losing by more than 25 points. He often used stops on the campaign trail to criticize Wicker and Trump’s mutual support of one another, vouching that “Mississippi deserves better.”
As for the House, voters in Mississippi’s four congressional districts will return to the polls in 2026, as all 435 seats in the chamber will be up for election. Currently serving are Republican Trent Kelly (District 1), Bennie Thompson (District 2), Michael Guest (District 3), and Mike Ezell (District 4). Like the Senate, the House currently has a GOP majority.
