Espy raised over $4 million in the quarter, making his total for the race at $5.3 million. Hyde-Smith raised $815,000 in the quarter and $2.85million overall. Espy’s September report revealed that he had $3.17million cash in his bank account at the end. Hyde-Smith’s report showed that she had $1.5 million. Espy seems to be making use of his greater than 2-to-1 cash advantage. He has out-advertised Hyde-Smith in critical moments before the Nov. 3, election and is flooding Mississippi’s airwaves with his messages. According to FCC reports Espy is spending $1.01million on radio and television ads this week, while Hyde-Smith spends only $147,000. Espy’s latest cash infusion is part of a nationwide wave of small donations to Democratic congressional campaign campaigns following the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. However, Espy has outraised Hyde Smith in every reporting period this election cycle. Espy stated this week that “this is a well funded campaign” but that he also said that he believes that Espy’s campaign is well-organized and can use the money quickly to get his message out and turn out voters. Espy stated that “We have the most data, numbers, and algorithms.” “… Mississippi has 100,000 African Americans who have not voted since 2008, when President Obama took office. We know their identities, their email addresses, and their cell phone numbers. There are 40-50 people knocking on doors. Espy stated that he believes his message resonates with white voters. Espy repeated a mantra he has used since he declared his candidacy for the presidency in 2019, “I want all of Mississippi to be represented.” Hyde-Smith’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment Thursday. Austin Barbour, a national and state GOP strategist and fundraiser, stated that Espy’s record fundraising hauls would be a boon for his campaign. However, he questioned whether it would be sufficient to overtake Hyde-Smith’s lead, which he holds in a red state. Barbour stated that money can move the needle and allow you to get your message out. But the president (Trump), is going to receive a tremendous turnout, and Sen. Hyde Smith is going to profit from that huge turnout. This allows her campaign to not rely so heavily on campaign funds for TV.” Barbour stated that Espy’s spending and raising of money has been “unheard” for a Democrat in Mississippi in recent times, but pointed out that most of Espy’s bounty comes from the “Democratic machine” national party and not a widespread support in the state. Barbour stated that television and other broadcast advertising are likely to play a major role in the race in light of the pandemic. There will be no restrictions on door knocking or in-person campaigning. Barbour stated that “I believe you could argue more people watching television, glued it to it.” It can be especially effective in Mississippi because we’re not overloaded with TV campaign ads like people from Arizona, Georgia, South Carolina, or Arizona. Michael Rejebian, who worked on several campaigns, stated that a significant fundraising advantage for a Democrat could help level the playing fields in a deeply red state like Mississippi. Rejebian worked on Democrat Jim Hood’s 2019 gubernatorial race, which was heavily outraised and won by Republican Tate Reeves. As a campaign nears its final weeks, it is critical to put that money into an air- and ground war to attract undecided votes and increase turnout among supporters. If you are running in a red state, it is possible to increase your radio, TV, digital, and field operations. This helps level the playing fields. Although the challenges remain, they are not as daunting if your bank account is healthy.” Marty Wiseman, a Mississippi State University political scientist, said that it is very unusual for a Democratic candidate in Mississippi to outraise an opponent. Wiseman stated that it is not common for a Republican incumbent to be outraised in Mississippi by a challenger. “I guess her campaign doesn’t feel the money is necessary.” Wiseman suggested that Espy invest in “putting boots in the ground” in Democratic strongholds in order to turn out voters. He said that it takes a lot work, but Espy may have a chance due to the fact that many Republicans seem to take the race as a given and Hyde Smith’s sparse campaigning. He cautioned that Espy might not have a chance due to the fact that the Democratic candidate in Mississippi looks promising but the Democratic candidate wins a moral victory with 47%. Support this work by making a recurring contribution today to celebrate our Spring Member Drive. This will allow us to continue important work such as this one.