Mississippi Democrats See Cautious Hope After Primary Turnout

Mississippi Democrats said they saw a glimmer of hope after the state’s party primary elections, though Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith remains a heavy favorite to win reelection in November, according to state election results and party officials.

Democratic officials and strategists across the country pointed to turnout in recent primaries and special elections as evidence that the party could make gains in November, including a possible House majority and a competitive Senate map, party officials said.

Party results in Texas drew particular attention. About 2.3 million Texans voted in the U.S. Senate primaries, a record turnout for a Democratic Senate primary in the state, according to Texas party results cited by national Democrats. The competitive Republican primary there featured U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton, party officials said.

In Mississippi, state election results showed slightly more voters cast ballots in the Republican Senate primary — a little more than 156,000 — than in the Democratic contest, which drew just under 150,000 votes. Hyde-Smith faced one challenger on the Republican side, while Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom won a three-way Democratic primary, according to the results.

Party and political analysts noted that the Democratic showing in Mississippi was stronger than in some past midterm primaries but cautioned it was too early to predict November outcomes. Historical turnout comparisons include the 2018 Mississippi primaries, when 157,170 voted in the Republican Senate primary and 87,931 voted in the Democratic contest, according to state records.

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