In a video taken in Starkville, Mississippi, Republican Senate candidate Cindy Hyde-Smith has declared her support of voter suppression.
Speaking to a college crowd, Hyde-Smith says, “There’s a lot of liberal folks in those other schools who maybe we don’t want to vote. Maybe we want to make it just a little more difficult. And I think that’s a great idea.”
It is not clear what “other schools” she may be referring to.
Hyde-Smith is locked in a runoff against Mike Espy for the seat. They both received roughly 40% of the votes in the 6th of November election.
Mississippi has been home to voter suppression in its past, including requiring literacy tests and poll taxes that predominately kept African Americans away from elections.
In a statement on Hyde-Smith’s comments, the Espy campaign condemned the remarks, saying, “For a state like Mississippi, where voting rights were obtained through sweat and blood, everyone should appreciate that this is not a laughing matter.”
The statement added, “Mississippians deserve a senator who represents our best qualities, not a walking stereotype who embarrasses our state.”
“Obviously Sen. Hyde-Smith was making a joke and clearly the video was selectively edited,” said Melissa Scallan, spokeswoman for Hyde-Smith’s campaign to the Washington Post.
This is not the first time Hyde-Smith has used a racist “joke” in recent days. In speaking of a supporter of her, she said, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.”
Lynching was popular in Mississippi. Between 1877 and 1950, 654 lynchings of black people were reported in the state, and were often treated as an outing for white people in the state.
In defending that statement, Hyde-Smith said she was simply using, “an exaggerated expression of regard.”
The runoff election will be held on the 27th of November.
Image via screen capture from video source.