Mississippi’s Senate primaries have concluded, setting the stage for a general election contest between Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic district attorney Scott Colom. Both candidates secured their respective party nominations on Tuesday, according to CNN projections.
A Past Controversy Resurfaces
This matchup reintroduces a previous dynamic between the two. Hyde-Smith opposed Colom’s nomination for a US district court judgeship three years prior.
Hyde-Smith cited Colom’s past support from liberal donor George Soros and his endorsement of transgender rights as reasons for her opposition. Colom had signed a 2021 letter condemning efforts to criminalize transgender individuals and gender-affirming healthcare. While Hyde-Smith opposed the nomination, Mississippi’s senior Senator Roger Wicker and two former Republican governors, Haley Barbour and Phil Bryant, had approved it.
General Election Outlook
Hyde-Smith is considered the favored candidate in the general election.
Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. In 2024, former President Donald Trump won the state by 23 points. However, Hyde-Smith’s individual races have shown closer margins; she defeated Mike Espy by 10 points in 2020, even as Trump carried the state by 17.
Democratic Hopes and Colom's Background
Democrats have observed modest gains within the state. The Democratic gubernatorial candidate lost by three points in 2023, and the party gained state legislature seats under new, court-ordered maps last year.
If elected, Scott Colom, a seventh-generation Mississippi native, would become the state's first Black senator since the Reconstruction era. He previously defeated a nearly 30-year incumbent in his 2015 district attorney race and emphasizes his record as a prosecutor.
Primary Results
In the primaries, Colom defeated Democrats Albert Littell and Priscilla W. Till. Hyde-Smith successfully fended off a challenge from physician Sarah Adlakha.