Espy wins Mississippi Senate Democratic primary

Mike Espy won the Senate Democratic primary in Mississippi on Tuesday, setting up a rematch from 2018 with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R). 

Espy, a former agriculture secretary and congressman, beat out fellow Democrats Jensen Bohren and Tobey Bartee for the chance to take on Hyde-Smith in November. 

Espy garnered more than 92 percent of the vote with just over 50 percent of precincts reporting.

“Thank you, Mississippi Democrats, for trusting me to represent you in the U.S. Senate and trusting me to take on and defeat Cindy Hyde-Smith in November. I am humbled by your support and look forward to being your next Senator from Mississippi,” tweeted Espy.

Espy and Hyde-Smith faced off in a runoff election in 2018 to fill the remainder of former Sen. Thad Cochran’s (R) term, which Espy lost by about 8 points. Cochran had resigned due to health concerns.

Hyde-Smith, who is running for her first full term this year, faced criticism in the 2018 race after footage surfaced of the Republican joking that she would “be on the front row” if she were invited to a “public hanging,” a comment that sparked strong backlash.

Hyde-Smith has emerged as a loyal foot soldier for the Republican Party and will enter her race against Espy with the full backing of the GOP. The Mississippi Republican votes with the White House 94 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, rates the Senate race as “Likely Republican.”