Cindy Hyde-Smith in 2018 openly laughs about public hangings and makes statements supporting voter suppression.

Mike Espy

It's official. I'm running to be Mississippi's next U.S. Senator. Too many people here can't find a decent job, rural hospitals are closing, and the price for education is just too high.

It's hard to bring good jobs to Mississippi with a United States Senator acting like that.

I don't know what's in your heart, but we all know what came out of your mouth, it's caused our state harm. It's given our state another black eye that we don't need. It's just rejuvenated old stereotypes that we don't need anymore.

Here's what you're not going to get from me : You're not going to hear any talk about voter suppression. You're not going to hear any talk about public hanging.

They are hurtful to millions of Mississippians who are people of goodwill, and they're harmful because they tend to reinforce the stereotypes that have held back our state for so long and that have cost us jobs and harmed our economy.

My campaign is the campaign that tries to reach across the racial chasm, reach across the party chasm and bring us together.

You can't put me in a box.

We have to do what they did in Alabama, which is a data-centric campaign that identifies black voters that haven't voted in a while and get them registered and get them out to vote.

I just learned of the pending resignation of Sen. Cochran – a person I admire and respect, and who has done so much for Mississippi over his tenure, however, now that he has announced his pending resignation, I would like to declare my strong intention to run for the United States Senate (for the Cochran seat).

It’s been some time since I worked in Washington and I have witnessed with dismay the continuing dysfunction, i have proven that I can work with everyone as long as the goal is a better Mississippi.