Democrat Scott Colom Takes on Deep-Red Mississippi’s GOP Stronghold in Senate Bid
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Mississippi District Attorney Scott Colom is mounting a challenge to Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, arguing that the state’s large Black electorate and a modestly shifting political climate could finally crack a Senate seat Democrats have not won in nearly 40 years, with help from national Democratic money and endorsements.
Mississippi District Attorney Scott Colom is trying to break the Republican lock on a Senate race that has not gone to a Democrat in nearly four decades. The 43-year-old says the state’s 35% Black voting bloc and a shifting political environment could open a rare path to victory, even though President Donald Trump carried Mississippi by 23 points in the 2024 election.
Colom said Mississippi has long been dismissed by national campaigns, producing a self-defeating cycle of neglect and weak Democratic performance. > "It’s a chicken-and-egg thing. We don’t compete in Mississippi so we don’t do well, and then we say, ‘Well, we didn’t do well so we shouldn’t compete.’"
Prominent Democrats have come to the state, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama, who ran an endorsement ad. A Democratic super-PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a $1.2 million ad buy to back Colom.
Democratic strategist Terrance Woodbury said Black voter engagement is rising and that frustration among some Republican voters could shape the result. Charles Taylor, executive director of the Mississippi NAACP, said a win would require strong Black turnout and about a quarter of the White vote.
Colom’s campaign has focused on tariffs, minimum-wage increases, and access to health care. He has held dozens of town halls and used a mobile “Mississippi Matters” food truck to reach voters, including through a satirical video that has drawn substantial online attention.
Republican officials defend Hyde-Smith’s record, pointing to her work on infrastructure, rural health care, and conservative judicial appointments. Campaign manager Jake Monssen said voters know her accomplishments, while veteran Republican operative Austin Barbour warned that visits from national Democrats could energize the Republican base.
Colom has raised nearly $4 million, giving him the ability to run statewide television ads, something unusual for a Democratic candidate in Mississippi. He continues to campaign across the state, including at Jackson State University’s homecoming events, and says he is putting everything into the race.