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Instead, Hyde-Smith spent the days leading up to Tuesday's election in a controversy evoking the dark history of that state's racism and slavery.
On Tuesday, Mississippi voters will decide between Hyde-Smith and Democrat Mike Espy, who, if elected, would be the first black Senator of the state since the Reconstruction.
The result will finalize the balance of power in the US Senate. As it stands, Republicans will hold 52 seats next year and Democrats 47. A victory for the GOP in Mississippi would strengthen the majority of the party in the Senate, even as Democrats got a solid majority in the House .
The state is polarized on racial grounds, with most white voters supporting Republicans and almost all black voters supporting Democrats.
The Democrats hope that Hyde-Smith's comments will lead to an increase in black participation and propel them to victory. However, even if black voters, who account for nearly 40% of the state's electorate, are out in force, Espy will still have to outdo his party's history with whites to have a chance to win.
And Democrats must overcome partisan tendencies in deep red. Earlier this month, when several candidates from both parties were registered, Hyde-Smith and Conservative Chris McDaniel garnered 58% of the vote, while Espy and Democrat Tobey Barte garnered 42%.
On the eve of the elections, President Donald Trump organized two rallies for Hyde-Smith in order to transform the Republican base.
He asked the crowd to "go out" and vote in the second round.
"I think it will be a big day for Cindy, but do not take any chances," he said. "It's happened many times before, it never works well, just assume you have to vote."
Even though Republicans will control the Senate regardless of the outcome, the president suggests that a Democratic victory in Mississippi "revokes" the party's victories.
"We can not allow Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to come back on this victory by winning the state of Mississippi," he said.
At a round table at Gulfport, Trump called Hyde-Smith's comments about a public hanging "sad and a little flip".
"When I spoke to her – she called me – she said: 'I said something that I meant exactly different', and I heard strong and clear excuses, "said Trump.
"I know where his heart is, and his heart is good, that's not what she meant when she said that," he said.
Hyde-Smith at the center of the controversy
Although the public ballot was limited, the race is considered potentially competitive because of Hyde-Smith's comments about the "public hanging".
These comments prompted him to deepen his story.
Over the weekend, CNN reported that Hyde-Smith had once promoted a measure hailing the efforts of a Confederate soldier to "defend his homeland" and pushed for a revisionist view of the Civil War.
Espy's campaign hammered Hyde-Smith with TV commercials putting her in an embarrassment for a state that tried to surpass its history of slavery and racism.
"We have worked hard to overcome the stereotypes that are hurting our economy and costing us jobs, nor should our words reflect the values of Mississippi," said one narrator in an advertisement. The advertisement also called Hyde-Smith "so embarrassing, it would be a disaster for Mississippi."
Several companies that donated to the Hyde-Smith campaign, including Walmart, publicly withdrew their support for the senator's comment on the "public hanging."
In her debate with Espy, Hyde-Smith said that she would certainly apologize to anyone who was offended by her remark. But she quickly swung into attack mode.
"I also admit that this comment was twisted and that it was turned into a weapon to use against me," she said.
GOP is fighting to avoid embarrassment
While Hyde-Smith remained largely out of the election campaign, the party's infrastructure rallied to his defense. GOP groups spent $ 4 million on Mississippi runoff – far more than the $ 1.2 million of Democrats, according to documents filed by the Federal Election Commission. Republican groups have spent more than twice as much as Democrats on television ads, according to the Kantar / CMAG advertising tracking firm.
Trump's visits to Mississippi on Monday night were also seen as an attempt to rally the Republican base to vote during an election that will take place two days after Thanksgiving weekend.
For Democrats, the ideal scenario resembles how Democratic Senator Doug Jones beat Republican Roy Moore in Alabama a year ago: a tight victory fueled by the massive participation of black voters.
But Mississippi is, in some ways, more difficult than Alabama. Moore faced allegations that, in adulthood, he reportedly sought sex with teenage girls.
And the state is more rural than its eastern neighbor. Like Alabama, Mississippi has not voted for a Democrat in the presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Trump won the Mississippi by 18 percentage points in 2016.
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