Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Scott Colom in tightened Senate race
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The gist
Mississippi voters decide Nov. 3 between Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom.
The race could send Mississippi its first Black U.S. senator in modern history.
Background
Cindy Hyde-Smith is a Republican U.S. Senator from Mississippi, appointed to the seat in 2018 to replace former GOP Sen. Thad Cochran and seeking a second full term. Her Democratic challenger, Scott Colom, is a state district attorney covering Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties; President Joe Biden nominated him to the federal bench in 2023, but Hyde-Smith blocked his confirmation. What was expected to be an easy Republican win has become a competitive race drawing national attention, with President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton both campaigning in the state.
How it unfolded
- Mar 10, 2026Hyde-Smith faces a primary challenge from physician and novelist Sarah Adlakha; the Democratic primary field includes Scott Colom.
- Mar 11, 2026NBC News projects Hyde-Smith and Colom have won their respective primaries, setting up a November clash.
- Oct 26, 2026President Donald Trump rallies for Hyde-Smith at Crossroads Arena in Corinth, Mississippi.
- Oct 28, 2026Axios reports Hyde-Smith's campaign cut an attack ad calling Colom the "transgender defender" and the "most radical Senate candidate of our lifetime," which played over 2,800 times across Mississippi and Memphis, Tenn., markets in 30 days at a cost of over $854K, per AdImpact.
- Oct 29, 2026Hyde-Smith campaigns in Starkville; the race draws national attention, with Trump visiting Corinth and Bill Clinton scheduled to visit Tupelo for Colom.
- Nov 2, 2026Hyde-Smith makes a final campaign stop in Biloxi at the Biloxi Visitors Center, joined by supporters, local mayors, Congressman Mike Ezell and other state officials.
- Nov 3, 2026Voters head to the polls; polls close at 7 p.m. local time, 8 p.m. ET.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Hyde-Smith says she wants to "continue what we're doing" — securing the border, a stable economy, jobs through the Gulf Coast's blue economy, secure hospitals and the "biggest tax cut in American history."
- Support
- Trump said at the Corinth rally, "I'm here because Cindy is doing great, but I've just got to make sure."
- Party
- Campaign manager Jake Monssen said he is confident Mississippians will send Hyde-Smith back to the Senate and called criticism "Washington insiders making a last ditch effort to give life to Scott Colom's failing campaign."
- Public
- Clarksdale native Amber Stasher, 27, said the senator has done nothing for the Mississippi Delta and that "Everything trickles down from the top."
- Public
- Jackson voter Pauline Rogers, 66, cited unresolved lynchings in the state and said, "You want me to believe you changed, and here we are in this country when DEI has been dismantled."