Mississippi Republican senator is refusing to debate, with excuses that show contempt for voters

Debates haven't gone so well for some of the Republican senators facing tough challenges this year—see Ernst, Joni—and one Republican who isn’t supposed to have a hard time has decided not to give herself the chance to screw up. Mississippi’s Cindy Hyde-Smith is refusing to debate Democrat Mike Espy.

She’s just flatly blowing it off, saying, “To be honest with you, the debate about debates, that is something that losing candidates and reporters care about.” As Espy pointed out in response, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently debated Amy McGrath. Joni Ernst may regret it, but she did debate Theresa Greenfield. Hyde-Smith’s contempt for the very idea of letting voters see her head-to-head with her challenger is not universal even among Republicans.

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Espy’s recent fundraising has been strong, and at least one poll has showed a close race—though with a lot of undecided voters who are likely to break for Hyde-Smith, because Mississippi. He remains an extremely long shot, but he’s not a joke of a candidate by any stretch. 

Hyde-Smith’s other big excuse for not debating is that she and Espy debated in 2018, and apparently there’s nothing new to say. As if the world has not changed one little bit since 2018.

Hyde-Smith will probably win, because she’s a Republican in Mississippi. But she sure doesn’t look like someone who is confidently and comfortably cruising to the finish line.

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