Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith has fended off a Republican primary challenger and will advance to the general election in Mississippi, NBC News projects.
With 3% of the expected vote, Hyde-Smith won 83%, compared to 17% for doctor Sarah Adlakha.
Hyde-Smith’s Democratic opponent for November has yet to be determined, with three candidates competing in that party’s primary, including District Attorney Scott Colom.
President Donald Trump endorsed Hyde-Smith ahead of Tuesday’s primary, but she still faced a challenge from Adlakha, who largely self-funded her campaign.
Adlakha launched ads at Hyde-Smith of being beholden to special interests, while Hyde-Smith accused Adlakha of being a Chicago liberal and touted her endorsement of Trump.
The primary forced Hyde-Smith to spend some of her campaign funds, spending $2.4 million on the race through Feb. 18, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Hyde-Smith is running for her second full term in the Senate. She was appointed to the seat in 2018 to replace former Republican Sen. Thad Cochran, and won a special election against former Democratic Rep. Mike Espy, who had also served as Secretary of Agriculture, to serve out the remainder of Cochran’s term.
Hyde-Smith won her first full Senate term in 2020, defeating Espy again, this time by 10 points, while Trump won the state by 16 points.
A Democrat hasn’t won a Senate race in Mississippi since 1982, and Trump won the state by 23 points in 2024. Ty Pinkins, who was the Democratic Senate candidate against Republican Sen. Roger Wicker in 2024, is running for the Senate again, but as an independent.
But some Democrats, including Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Kirsten Gillibrand, have suggested Colom could be a strong candidate.
It wouldn’t be the first time Hyde-Smith and Colom have clashed: the Republican senator blocked Colom’s nomination for a federal judgeship during the Biden administration.
