The first female U.S. Senator to represent the Magnolia State is on the campaign trail, and that trail brought her to Picayune Friday.

Before a stop at Paul’s Pastry in Picayune, she sat down with the staff of the Picayune Item to speak about her brief time as Senator, and what she would like to achieve if she’s elected to the seat in November.

Currently the state of Mississippi is enjoying the best economy in decades. Hyde-Smith said that is in part due to President Donald Trump’s tax cuts, especially on the corporate side where the rate dropped from 35 percent to 21 percent. She said that during recent conversations with Bob Dunlop, the owner of the tire plant in Batesville, the cuts allowed him to provide his employees with raises and look into expanding his operation.

She said she has two reasons for wanting to continue to work in Washington D.C., to create jobs and lessen government.

Her stance is to support the military, by increasing its numbers and provide easier access to health care for veterans.

While she has some concerns about the tariffs recently enacted by Trump, she supports his aim to create a better trade agreement for local farmers. Even though the tariffs have hurt soybean growers in the short term, she expects that once an agreement is reached that will provide soybean farmers with access to better rates, they will be better off in the long run. They just have to hold on, she said.

“I feel that Trump is leading us in the right direction,” Hyde-Smith said. “We’ve got an unconventional president who’s given us positive results.”

To help reduce government, she said she voted for the recently proposed spending cuts, $15 billion worth, and the farm bill that cut $100 billion in spending.

She also supports mandating SNAP beneficiaries to show they are looking for a job and having them enroll in programs that will help them achieve that goal.

As part of her goal to not only help hunters but support the local economies, she is supporting a bill that will extend the duck hunting season from the last Saturday in January to January 31.

In relation to inspiring young women, she said her career speaks for itself. In 1999, she beat a 20 year incumbent for the seat of State Senate, was later elected as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce for Mississippi and now heads up the responsibilities once held by her predecessor, Thad Cochran, which include presiding over Congressional meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“We are who we are because of where we’ve been,” she said.

She will be listed on the ballot on Nov. 6, running against Democratic candidates Tobey Bartee and Mark Espy and fellow Republican Chris McDaniel.