Several new candidates have entered Mississippi’s 2026 U.S. Senate race in recent weeks.

The general election is more than 13 months away, but the deadline to file paperwork to run for federal offices is Dec. 26, according to the secretary of state’s office.

Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith is running for a second full term in office. She is favored to defend her seat from Democrats, who haven’t elected a U.S. senator in Mississippi since John Stennis in 1982.

Facing a Senate map that many analysts say favors Republicans, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said he’s looking for ways to break the GOP’s ironclad grip on Mississippi in 2026.

Democrats have long believed the U.S. Senate was designed to over-represent small states, leading to a structural advantage for Republicans.

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