Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith took oath of office on Sunday

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith took the oath of office Sunday at the beginning of the 117th Congress.

Vice President Mike Pence officiated

Hyde-Smith is the first woman elected to serve Mississippi in the nation’s capital. She was appointed to fill Senator Thad Cochran’s seat when he retired in 2018. Then-Governor Phil Bryant tapped Hyde-Smith for the job.

The Senator won a special election and served the remaining two years of Cochran’s term. Hyde-Smith defeated challenger Mike Espy in November and will now serve a full 6-year term.

She is a former state senator and state agriculture, commissioner.