Mississippi woman appointed to Senate, making Vermont only state to never have female lawmaker

Vermont will be the only state to never have sent a woman to Congress following Wednesday’s announcement that Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) will be appointed to represent Mississippi in the Senate.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) appointed Cindy Hyde-Smith to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Thad Cochran (R), ending Mississippi’s history of never sending a woman to Congress.

Although numerous states have never been represented by a woman in the Senate and a few have never sent a woman to the House, Vermont now stands alone in never having sent a woman to either chamber of Congress.

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Vermont, which has just a three-person delegation, has had a number of mainly Republican women unsuccessfully run for the state’s single House seat.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) controlled the Vermont House seat for most of the 1990s and early 2000s until he was elected to the Senate in 2006.

Although Hyde-Smith will make history for Mississippi, she has a tough special election coming ahead.

According to polls available to GOP leaders from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Hyde-Smith is currently in third place behind the anti-establishment Republican Chris McDaniel and a prospective Democratic candidate.

President Trump has reportedly warned Bryant that he does not plan to endorse or campaign for Hyde-Smith, Politico reported.

The White House is worried that Hyde-Smith’s past affiliation as a Democrat could be used against her by her opponents in the election.