With one week remaining before the midterm elections, the Mississippi Senate race is drawing heightened national attention as Democrat Scott Colom challenges incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith. On Tuesday, Colom’s campaign headquarters in Corinth, a small city near the Tennessee border, was active with volunteers engaging in phone banking and staff preparing for ongoing campaigning.
Earlier that day, Colom held a press conference in Corinth, attracting about 100 attendees despite short notice. Shortly afterward, former President Donald Trump, alongside other prominent Republicans including Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, campaigned for Hyde-Smith in the same city. Trump emphasized the need to secure victory, acknowledging that while Hyde-Smith was performing well, “I just got to make sure. I can’t take a chance.” Reeves described the contest as “the most important election of our lives” during a rally with a near-capacity audience.
The bipartisan nature of attention reflects a perceived vulnerability for Republicans in a state traditionally seen as a stronghold. Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982, and national Democrats historically regarded the state as unwinnable. However, the recent influx of Democratic resources and visits to support Colom signal a shift in strategy. After initially being excluded from a $40 million Democratic Senate fundraising effort targeting battleground states, Mississippi has since seen increased engagement from national party figures.
Colom criticized the previous Democratic approach as one of concession, saying, “For too long, we weren’t willing to challenge that.” He emphasized the need to confront perceived betrayals by Republican leadership, particularly to Trump’s voter base, whom he said were promised lower grocery prices and an end to “endless wars” but have seen opposite outcomes, including historic sales tax increases and ongoing military conflicts. He also pledged to fight for transparency regarding issues such as the release of certain files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Colom’s background includes a 2015 victory as the first Black district attorney for Mississippi’s 16th circuit, unseating a nearly 30-year incumbent with a 94% conviction success rate. A seventh-generation Mississippian, his father was a Republican supporter and ally to longtime Mississippi politician Thad Cochran. Despite these credentials, Colom faces a challenging race against Hyde-Smith, who has served in the Senate for eight years. While she has not sponsored any bills, she has cosponsored 32 measures that have become law.
The race is viewed as a potential barometer for party control of Congress, as the 2024 midterms will shape the legislative landscape for the remainder of President Joe Biden’s term. As Colom rallied his volunteers following Trump’s visit, the sense of determination was palpable. “We’re going to make history together, with people like you,” he told them, underscoring his message that “Mississippi matters.”
This heightened focus on Mississippi contrasts with past presidential election campaigns: Barack Obama campaigned in the state during 2008, but neither Hillary Clinton nor Kamala Harris made visits during their subsequent bids for the presidency, highlighting the traditionally low priority placed on Mississippi by national Democrats until recently.