On Tuesday night, Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith was elected to remain in Washington to serve out the remainder of Thad Cochran’s term in the U.S. Senate. Her opponent, Mike Espy (D), may already be looking ahead to 2020 and eyeing Hyde-Smith’s seat.
Espy’s committee has filled the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to continue fundraising ahead of a potential run in 2020. This comes just days after he fell to Hyde-Smith by a final tally of 53.9% to 46.1% in the runoff election for the final seat in the U.S. Senate.
Giving his concession speech to supporters at the Two Mississippi Museums on Tuesday, Espy called his campaign a “movement” that was only just beginning. He reiterated that statement in a Facebook post on election night, and it appears that he’s ready for another shot at the Senate.
“Make no mistake—tonight is the beginning, not the end,” he said. “When this many people show up, stand up, and speak up, it is not a loss. It is a moment. It is a movement. And we are not going to stop moving our state forward just because of one election. I look forward to finding new ways to do just that.”
Espy, or any other candidate, cannot officially file to run until January 2020.
After qualifying for the runoff on November 6th, the former Congressman received high-profile endorsements from former VP Joe Biden, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and California Senator Kamala Harris.
