Mississippi Senate Race Draws Late Spending, High Stakes

Black voters make up close to 40% of Mississippi's electorate, the highest share in the nation, as the state's U.S. Senate contest draws late spending from both parties ahead of the Nov. 3 vote.

President Trump carried Mississippi by 23 points in 2024, and the state's racial polarization has historically limited Democratic statewide wins. The last Democrat elected to the Senate from Mississippi took office in the early 1980s, and the last successful Black statewide candidate ran during Reconstruction.

Scott Colom, the Democratic nominee and a district attorney, has campaigned against incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, who blocked his nomination to a federal judgeship during the Biden administration. Colom said national Democrats ignored the state for much of the cycle.

"The reality is, Mississippi has never been a lost cause, we've been a betrayed cause," Colom said. "They spent hundreds of millions of dollars in other states. They spent almost nothing in Mississippi." National spending has since shifted. Democrats spent about $5 million in the state this month compared with $3.2 million by Republicans, according to figures cited in the campaign.

The Hyde-Smith campaign has spent more than $1.3 million on a single ad, titled "Most Radical," that calls Colom "twice nominated by Biden, beholden to the far left" and states that "violent crime doubled on his watch," data from AdImpact shows.

About 1,000 people attended a rally for Colom at his hometown high school gym, where former Vice President Kamala Harris joined him. Harris said the last year and a half reflected "the most callous, corrupt and incompetent presidential administration we have ever experience" and added, "We're 12 days out from an election. And it's time to turn that anger into action." Attendees at the rally cited the war in Iran, fuel costs and dissatisfaction with Trump's second term.

Celestine Rice, who attended the rally, said she had not previously recognized the extent of the country's problems. "Before, we didn't realize how bad it was, but now it's obvious," she said. "The moral compass of this country is gone." She also said money does not reach working people as promised.

About 100 miles north in Corinth, Trump joined Hyde-Smith and other Mississippi Republicans. Hyde-Smith framed the ballot choice as "socialism versus capitalism" and "communism versus democracy, and big government versus the free market." Trump told the crowd he attended because Hyde-Smith was performing well in polling. "Sometimes when you think somebody's doing so well, nobody votes," Trump said. "That's why I'm here, just get out and vote." Hyde-Smith campaign manager Jake Monssen said the campaign is "confident that Mississippians will once again send Cindy Hyde-Smith to the U.S. Senate."

Redistricting is also in play. After a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year rolled back part of the Voting Rights Act, Republican-led Southern states have moved to redraw congressional maps. Mississippi Republicans have signaled plans to redraw state legislative and judicial districts after the midterms. Colom said the effort could extend to local elections. "What that tells us is you're trying to take away power from the voters and give it to the leaders," he said. "The voters have to pick the leaders, not the leaders pick the voters."

Ashley Kennedy Shelton, who runs a nonpartisan civic engagement group in Louisiana, told NPR earlier this month that people across political lines have voiced frustration. "I think you're going to see voters truly show up, because folks are just tired," she said. "They're like: 'This doesn't work, and it hasn't been working for quite some time.'" Early voting data in several states has shown a notable increase in Black turnout.