Getty Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith peaks out from behind a curtain before a rally with US President Donald Trump at Landers Center Ð Arena in Southaven, Mississippi, on October 2, 2018. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Michael Smith is the first and only husband of Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is currently running in the runoff election for the U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi.
Hyde-Smith, a staunch Republican, is running with a slight lead against Democrat Mike Espy.
Here’s what you need to know about Hyde-Smith’s husband, Michael:
1. Smith & Hyde-Smith Met on a Blind Date
According to The Washington Post, Hyde-Smith met her future husband when a customer at her mother’s beauty shop set them up on a blind date. Hyde-Smith’s mother was a hairdresser and her father was a trucker.
It’s unclear where Smith went to college, if he went at all. But Hyde-Smith did attend the University of Southern Mississippi, and obtained degrees in criminal justice and political science.
2. Smith & Hyde-Smith Live on a Cattle Farm in Brookhaven, Mississippi, Which Has Been in Smith’s Family For Generations
Smith appears to run his family’s cattle farm in Brookhaven, Mississippi, a family trade that includes a livestock auction and has run in his family for generations. The Smith family lives on the farm full-time.
3. The Couple Have One Child, Anna Michael, Who’s Currently Enrolled at Mississippi State
Hyde-Smith gave birth to her and her husband’s only child, Anna Michael, at 39 years old. She said of her decision to have a child later in life, “At 39 years old, I knew I wanted a child. My husband and I decided that I would quit my job, have a baby and run for the state Senate. We did all of that in one year.”
4. Both Smith & Hyde-Smith Are Baptists, & Attend Church Regularly
Both Smith and Hyde-Smith are extremely religious, and attend a baptist church regularly, called Macedonia Baptist Church. Anna Michael said that when Hyde-Smith was considering her Senate run, the family was constantly “talking to God.”
She said, “We’ve prayed more than you can imagine — down at the heart of our home, at church, we prayed a few times before we came here.”
5. In His Free Time, Smith Works as a Deacon & Sunday School Director
In addition to his work on his cattle farm, Smith works as a Deacon and Sunday School director for their church.