Mike Espy is a Democrat who served four terms representing Mississippi in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1996 he vacated his seat to become the Secretary of Agriculture in the Clinton Administration. Trained as a lawyer and with a career in public service, Espy has been influenced by a grandfather who was the son of slaves and an activist for the African-American community at the turn of the century. He used his law degree and his time as a state legislator to focus on the needs of rural public schools and consumer protection issues.

Competitive Espy ran in a special election for Mississippi’s Senate seat in 2018 when it was vacated by Thad Cochran. He captured a remarkable 47% of the vote against Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Trump sycophant. Now, in the 2020 general election, Espy is again facing Hyde-Smith. 

Espy has used the lessons from his 2018 campaign to sharpen his strategy and the polls speak to his success: he turned a 26-point gap in March into a statistical tie in October, 41% to 40%. Recently, the disaffected Republicans who comprise The Lincoln Project cited projections of high turnout among Black voters and Trump’s loss of suburban women voters as the two reasons they are committing resources and funds in support of Espy’s campaign.

Compatible One of Espy’s highest priorities is expanding Medicaid as a way of providing needed healthcare to more Mississippians. It is one of the few states that has not already done so, and as a result many of the state’s rural hospitals have closed. Part of his passion for this issue stems from a near-fatal asthma attack he had as a child; living in a Black neighborhood that did not have ambulance service, his father carried him to the nearby segregated hospital only to learn that they had run out of oxygen canisters. Espy is deeply troubled by the fact that 60 years later there are still citizens in Mississippi who face the same life-threatening challenges he did.

As a former Secretary of Agriculture, Espy is a powerful advocate for small farmers and rural families. As a member of Congress, he helped create the Empowerment Zone program and authored the Lower Mississippi Delta Development Act. In his private life, he is a board member of a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing low-interest loans to low-income families and communities in the South.

His experience as a student during the desegregation of K-12 schools in the state has also informed his decision to prioritize and protect the funding of public schools. His plan includes professional support for teachers, expanding broadband internet access for students, and insisting that public dollars go to public schools. By his estimate, since 2008 Mississippi schools have not received $2.3 billion dollars to which they were entitled.

Cost Effective In a recent NYT OpEd, Charles Blow called the Democrats’ abandonment of Epsy in his 2018 race “an unforgettable travesty,” but he was heartened by the uptick of support that Espy has been receiving as of late. Espy noted that 100,000 Black voters had shown up for Obama in 2008 but not for any of the elections held since then, and he argues that activating them in this cycle is the key to securing his victory. 

Opponent

Cindy Hyde-Smith’s favorability rating is at an all-time low, and she is significantly behind in fundraising. Best known for her proclivity for all things Confederate and her statement to a supporter that “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be in the front row!,” she is uniquely vulnerable. She has little money to spend and the Republican Party, busy fighting tough elections in Alaska, Kansas, and Georgia, is unlikely to ride to her rescue. With enough donor dollars and volunteers, Espy will be able to energize his coalition and get them to the polls by election day.

Mississippi Politics

This is the year of Black Lives Matter, and Mississippi has the highest percentage of Black voters in the country (37%). Joe Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris is leading to higher voter turnout in the state, approaching the levels of 2008 when Obama was on the ticket.

In July, and by an overwhelming majority, the Mississippi state legislature voted to retire the state flag with its prominent symbol of the Confederate Army. This vote reflects the rise of the Espy coalition of moderate white voters who will join with Black voters and Democrats. In 2018, five counties went from red to blue, and two Democratic women flipped seats in the state legislature. Electing Espy is the next step toward a more progressive and inclusive future.

Last updated on October 20, 2020.