Between April 1st and June 30, Espy raised $610,000. Hyde-Smith only raised $212,000 during the same time period. Even though her second quarter was poor, Hyde Smith still raised more money this campaign cycle than Espy: $2.1 million to Espy’s $1.4 million. The November general election will see a rematch of the two candidates who met in 2018’s special election to fill the seat left vacant by U.S. Senator Thad Cochran. Hyde-Smith beat Espy by eight points in a runoff — the closest Democrat to the U.S. Senate since the modern political era. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Hyde Smith has raised less money this campaign cycle than any incumbent U.S. Senator who isn’t retiring. Backlash from her 2018 remarks that were racially insensitive is one reason she has struggled to raise funds. Hyde Smith made several comments on the trail, including a comment that she would attend “public hanging”. This drew national attention and inspired many corporate political committees asking Hyde Smith to return previous contributions. Major League Baseball, AT&T and Union Pacific, Aetna Pfizer, Google, and Facebook were just a few of the PACs that Hyde-Smith mentioned. Race will still be a major factor in the political narrative as the candidates increase their campaigns ahead the November election. A national movement has emerged from the death of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police, which has had a profound impact on the state of Mississippi. Local governments in Mississippi have overthrown Confederate iconography after tens of thousands marched through dozens of cities to protest. After decades of fear, the Mississippi Legislature voted last month in favor of taking down the Confederate battle emblem-adorned state flag. In the 1990s, Espy became Mississippi’s first black congressman. His campaign messaging revolved around Espy’s family’s contributions to racial justice, and the demands of Black Lives Matter activists. In recent days, he has criticized Hyde Smith for her Confederate imagery ties and highlighted her silence regarding the contentious debate about changing the state flag. As Espy is well aware, successful fundraising can not always translate into broad support at the polls. Espy raised $7.5million in 2018, compared to Hyde-Smith’s $5.5 million. Although he lost, he was the first Democrat to raise more than a Republican opponent in several statewide elections. A benefit of fundraising success is national attention. National reporters rushed to Hyde-Smith’s 2018 election campaign to report on the possible possibility that a Democrat would wrest a Senate seat from Republican Party. As national debate rages about racial inequities in government and unequal representation, the race could once again attract national attention and further fundraising success for Espy. It remains to be seen how much national attention and how much funding Mississippi will receive. In the 2020 presidential election year, Democratic Senate candidates in several Republican-controlled states are getting media attention and focused national funds as pundits believe Democrats have a shot to gain majority control of the U.S. Senate. This connection has been largely missing this year. However, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said to Mississippi Today that the party would invest in Mississippi for its third consecutive election year.