Democrat Scott Colom, who is trying to win Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s seat in the 2026 midterms, announced a historic milestone in fundraising on Wednesday.
A press release from Colom’s camp said he’s raised nearly $600,000 – with over $580,000 cash on hand – in the 27 days since launching his campaign. It’s the most any Democratic Senate candidate in Mississippi has raised in their first quarter, with the previous best being Mike Espy’s $414,000 in his bid against Hyde-Smith in 2020.
“The campaign received contributions from more than 3,400 individuals, including from every corner of Mississippi,” the release noted. “Those are remarkable numbers in the Magnolia State, especially for a first-time statewide candidate – a clear sign of enthusiasm for Scott’s candidacy and growing confidence from Mississippians across the state.”
While post-launch figures for Hyde-Smith have not yet been made available after Tuesday’s campaign fundraising reporting deadline, her campaign reported around $1.4 million in cash on hand as of June 30. She officially launched her reelection bid in late August, although she told SuperTalk Mississippi News in March 2024 that she was running for a second term.
Colom, a former judge and prosecutor, is currently the district attorney in a district that includes Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay, and Noxubee counties. He’s held the position for over a decade and has received bipartisan support on the way to being reelected twice.
His camp touts a 94% win rate since becoming DA, including convictions in high-profile murder cases and holding a sheriff accountable for trading favors for sexual materials from inmates.
Hyde-Smith, on the other hand, served as Mississippi’s agriculture commissioner for just over six years before being appointed to the Senate in April 2018 after the passing of Republican Sen. Thad Cochran. She won the remainder of that term later that year during a special election and then a full term in 2020.
She’s used her seven years in office to prove herself as one of the more conservative lawmakers in Washington with staunch pro-life and pro-gun views. She’s also been an advocate for farmers through her position on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition, plus publicly working to make the Yazoo Backwater Pump Project happen to prevent further flooding in the state’s Delta region.
In 2022, Colom was nominated by former President Joe Biden to serve as a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi before his promotion was squashed when Hyde-Smith blocked a confirmation vote, citing concerns over Colom’s political affiliation and campaign donations from left-leaning billionaire George Soros through a PAC in 2015.
Primary races for Hyde-Smith’s seat and all four of the state’s U.S. House seats will be held on March 10, with April 7 reserved for potential runoffs. The general election is slated for Nov. 3, 2026. Other candidates trying to win the seat include Republicans Sarah Adlakha and Andrew Scott Smith, Democrat Priscilla Williams-Till, and independent Ty Pinkies.
