Alphonso Michael Espy (born November 30, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1993 to 1994. He was both the first African American and first person from the Deep South to hold the position. A member of the Democratic Party, Espy previously served as the U.S. representative for Mississippi's 2nd congressional district from 1987 to 1993. In March 2018, Espy announced his candidacy for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Thad Cochran. Espy placed second in the November 6 nonpartisan special election before facing Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in a November 27 runoff. Espy was defeated by Hyde-Smith, but garnered more than 46 percent of the vote in what was the closest U.S. Senate election in Mississippi since 1988. He was the Democratic nominee again in the 2020 election, losing by ten percentage points against Hyde-Smith in a rematch. Early life and education Espy was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi. He is the grandson of Thomas J. Huddleston Sr., founder of the Afro-American Sons and Daughters, a fraternal society that operated the Afro-American Hospital, a leading provider of health care for Black people in the state from the 1920s to the 1970s. Espy attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., and was active in student politics, holding several elective positions. He earned his Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law in California in 1978. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Mississippi Center for Justice. Career Early years Espy was an attorney with Central Mississippi Legal Services between 1978 and 1980 and was later the Assistant Secretary of State to Mississippi Legal Services. From 1980 to 1984, he was the Assistant Secretary of the State to the Public Lands Division. Espy was an Assistant State Attorney General from 1984 to 1985. Congress and Secretary of Agriculture In November 1986, Espy was elected as a Democrat to the 100th Congress from . He defeated two-term Republican Webb Franklin to become the first African-American to represent Mississippi at the federal level since Reconstruction era, a position once held by Mississippi Republican Senator Hiram Revels in 1870-1871. Espy was reelected three times. In December 1992, Espy was chosen by President-elect Bill Clinton to be the Secretary of Agriculture in the new administration. Following his confirmation by the Senate in late January 1993, Espy resigned from his seat