Black Democrat Scott Colom Mounts Underdog Challenge Against Mississippi Republican Senator

Scott Colom, a 43-year-old Democratic prosecutor from Mississippi, is mounting a long-shot campaign to unseat Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. The matchup presents an unusual dynamic in a state long dominated by white conservative leadership, with Colom’s biography and Mississippi’s demographic composition potentially creating openings for an upset bid.

Colom comes from an unlikely political background for a Democrat seeking statewide office in the Deep South. His father, a Republican, campaigned for Ronald Reagan and maintained a friendship with former Senator Thad Cochran. Despite this heritage, Colom has built his political identity around prosecuting corruption and attacking Hyde-Smith’s record as a reliable Trump ally.

The candidate is centering his campaign on economic grievances, particularly Trump’s tariffs and the Republican-controlled Congress’ handling of healthcare and military intervention. Colom argues that Hyde-Smith has abandoned Mississippi voters and failed to use her position to secure appropriations or address constituent concerns, comparing her unfavorably to her predecessor Cochran.

Black voters represent approximately 37 percent of Mississippi’s 2.95 million residents and roughly one-third of typical November electorates, making the state’s African American population proportionally larger than any other state. However, Black voter turnout lags behind white turnout, particularly among younger generations, according to strategists from both parties.

Electoral mathematics suggest the race remains competitive but difficult for Colom. White voters support Republicans by a 4-to-1 margin or greater, though younger white voters show slightly less Republican preference. Mississippi elections have grown closer than neighboring states, with Hyde-Smith winning her 2018 special election by 7 percentage points and her 2020 rematch by 10 points.

Colom’s father, Wilbur Colom, has calculated potential pathways to victory based on turnout scenarios. If Black voters comprise 35 percent of the electorate and Colom captures closer to 25 percent of white votes rather than the typical 20 percent or less, he could prevail. State NAACP officials project that increased voter registration and turnout efforts could mobilize 75,000 additional Black voters.

Hyde-Smith’s campaign dismisses Colom as an outsider beholden to national Democratic figures and wealthy liberal donors. Campaign manager Jake Monssen characterized the challenger as a tool of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Soros family, framing him as an extremist out of step with Mississippi values.

Senator Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, the state’s first Black senator, traveled to Mississippi to campaign with Colom and predicted that additional Democratic senators would follow. National Democratic groups, including Senate Majority PAC, are monitoring the race closely and considering potential investments in advertising during the campaign’s final stages.

Financial disparities between the candidates remain significant but not insurmountable given Mississippi’s inexpensive media markets. Through June, Hyde-Smith had raised $3.8 million with $2.5 million cash on hand, while Colom had raised $2.8 million with $850,000 remaining. Colom has outpaced Hyde-Smith among individual contributors in 2025, receiving $1.9 million compared to Hyde-Smith’s $1.8 million during the same period.

The race unfolds against Mississippi’s fraught racial history and the state’s critical role in the Civil Rights Movement. Colom has campaigned at historic sites including Farish Street Baptist Church, where NAACP leader Medgar Evers organized before his assassination in 1963 by white supremacists.