Mississippi prosecutor Scott Colom is mounting a closely watched Democratic challenge against Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, seeking to become the state’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction. The 43-year-old district attorney is considered an underdog, but his campaign argues that Mississippi’s demographics and voter concerns about affordability could make the race more competitive than expected.
Black residents make up about 37% of Mississippi’s population and roughly one-third of its usual November electorate, according to The Associated Press. Political organizers say Colom’s path depends on increasing Black voter turnout while attracting a larger share of white voters than Democratic candidates typically receive.
Colom is campaigning on rising costs, health-care access and the economic effects of tariffs and the Iran war. Hyde-Smith’s campaign has characterized him as too liberal for Mississippi and expressed confidence that the state’s Republican majority will return her to office.
The fundraising totals also suggest the race could draw greater national attention. AP reported that Hyde-Smith had raised $3.8 million through June, compared with $2.8 million for Colom, while Colom slightly led among individual contributions. Mississippi’s comparatively inexpensive media market could make late spending by national political groups especially influential.
Source: The Associated Press, August 7, 2026.
