Scott Colom
Democrat · Challenger · U.S. Senate (MS) · 2026
Democratic District Attorney and 2026 U.S. Senate nominee seeking to unseat incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Before politics: Worked as a staff lawyer at the Mississippi Center for Justice and taught English in Guyana through World Teach.
Their shot at this seat
While Colom has reached a base level of viability, he remains a significant underdog because he would need to flip a deep-red state despite being outspent two-to-one by an incumbent who holds the state's traditional partisan advantage.
Who's behind them
Colom is assembling enough financial support to maintain campaign visibility, though he lacks the high-level institutional funding necessary to match the incumbent's overwhelming spending advantage.
What could go wrong
The tension between Colom’s moderate brand and his financial dependence on national progressive donors poses the greatest risk of alienating the voters he needs to win.
Why they fit this seat
The race is potentially ready for Colom because his moderate profile aligns with a large, untapped base of voters seeking an alternative to the incumbent's low-profile, polarizing tenure.
Key contrasts
proposes tax exemptions for teachers and police officers
Supports tax cuts, deregulation, and domestic energy production.
Who this moves: Working-class citizens, small business owners, and farmers who feel betrayed by current tariff policies.
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| Issue | Scott Colom | Cindy Hyde-Smith | Who this moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy and taxes | Supports proposes tax exemptions for teachers and police officers | Supports Supports tax cuts, deregulation, and domestic energy production. | Working-class citizens, small business owners, and farmers who feel betrayed by current tariff policies. |
| Healthcare | Supports supports Medicaid expansion and restoring federal healthcare funding | Opposes Opposes ACA; supports rural hospital funding and Medicare reform. | The 140,000 Mississippians Colom claims are at risk of losing healthcare coverage. |
| Abortion and social issues | Opposes opposes transgender girls in sports and gender-affirming surgery for minors | Supports Pro-life; leads Senate Pro-Life Caucus; opposes abortion access. | Conservative voters concerned with cultural issues, though Colom claims this is not a priority for most Mississippi voters. |
| Democracy and elections | Supports longshot challenger with significantly less funding than incumbent | Supports Supports voter ID, SAVE Act; blocked Colom judicial nomination. | Democratic primary voters motivated by the narrow 8,000-vote gap in the March 2026 primary. |
| Immigration and border | Supports supports border security while emphasizing due process rights | Supports Supports border wall, ending catch-and-release, and strict enforcement. | Voters prioritizing border security and Second Amendment protections. |
| Foreign policy and defense | Opposes opposes unauthorized military action; calls for congressional oversight | Supports Supports 'Peace Through Strength'; leads Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. | Voters concerned about rising gas prices linked to the war in Iran. |
Who has more standing to be believed
| Credibility axis | Scott Colom | Cindy Hyde-Smith |
|---|---|---|
Insider knowledge | Currently serves as District Attorney for Lowndes County, Mississippi. | Multiple terms in federal office; no committee gavel or leadership post. |
Message discipline | No documented reversals or contradictions of stated positions on record. | Multiple documented reversals/contradictions, including party switch and public apology for controversial remarks. |
Moral legitimacy | Endorsed by Mississippi AFL-CIO; no rival decline or censure on record. | Endorsed by party organization and Donald Trump; no censure on record. |
Scandal resilience | One informal complaint regarding a campaign video; no formal finding or charge. | Multiple documented allegations and controversies, but no formal ethics finding or charge. |
Pressure absorption | Won contested primary and general elections for District Attorney. | Won contested primary against credible challenger; no trend-defying general election win. |
Currently serves as District Attorney for Lowndes County, Mississippi.
Multiple terms in federal office; no committee gavel or leadership post.
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Network
Endorsements and money spent against
National: New Deal Dems Women for a Better America — per Ballotpedia.
Mobilization
Signals against
No information — no opposition-only outside-spend committees recorded — absence of data, not absence of oppositionThe case they'd make
Scott Colom is a district attorney who entered the race after a federal appointment was blocked, aiming to unseat the Republican incumbent by bridging moderate and conservative interests. He attempts to appeal to traditional voters and those concerned with rural healthcare and economic issues by rejecting the progressive label of his party. His platform emphasizes a pragmatic, centrist approach that balances fiscal reform with culturally conservative stances.