Who's In the Race

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) faces Democrat Scott Colom and independent Ty Pinkins in the November 3 general election in Mississippi's U.S. Senate race. ​

Hyde-Smith has represented Mississippi in the U.S. Senate since 2018 and, according to her Senate biography, is the first woman elected to represent the state in the Senate. Before joining the Senate, she served 12 years in the Mississippi State Senate and as Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce from 2012 to 2018. She won the March 10 Republican primary with about 81 percent of the vote over Sarah Adlakha.

Colom has served as district attorney for Mississippi's 16th Circuit District since 2015 and previously served as Lowndes County's first African American justice court judge. He won the March 10 Democratic primary with about 73 percent of the vote over Priscilla Williams-Till. Pinkins is a retired U.S. Army officer who served 21 years on active duty, including three tours in Iraq, and was awarded the Bronze Star.

What They Stand For

Hyde-Smith says domestic energy production can lower fuel prices, according to WLBT's coverage of Mississippi Senate candidates. She's also supported policies to allow agriculture and related industries to grow, including private property rights and country-of-origin food labeling, repealing the Affordable Care Act and backing "common-sense, patient-centered" healthcare reforms that help families afford insurance without expanding the government's role, securing the nation's borders as a core federal responsibility, and lowering taxes and creating a business-friendly environment to attract industry to Mississippi, according to WLBT.

Colom has proposed voting to return Congress's power over tariffs, which he argues are raising costs for families, according to his campaign website. He's also supported raising the federal minimum wage and tying it to the cost of living, and ending federal income tax for Mississippians earning under $75,000, canceling Medicaid cuts, restoring Affordable Care Act tax credits, and strengthening federal incentives for Mississippi to expand Medicaid, pausing new data-center construction until companies agree to pay for their power and water, disclose agreements, and hire Mississippi workers; and banning congressional stock trading and supporting law enforcement with pay and tools.

Pinkins has supported Medicare for All, describing health care as "a fundamental human right," and has called for raising the minimum age for certain firearm purchases, according to his campaign website.

The Money Behind the Race

Through June 30, Cindy Hyde-Smith had raised about $5.46 million and held about $2.54 million in cash on hand, while Scott Colom had raised about $2.38 million and held about $847,000 in cash, giving Hyde-Smith a more than 2-to-1 fundraising edge and a nearly 3-to-1 cash advantage. Pinkins raised about $98,000 and had about $5,352 on hand through June 30, the smallest total among the three candidates in these filings.

Outside groups have spent about $761,000 supporting Colom, with BlackPAC the largest single spender at about $411,000. Outside groups have spent about $1.5 million opposing Hyde-Smith, with AB PAC accounting for about $1.42 million of that total, or about 95 percent of all anti-Hyde-Smith outside spending. Conservative Leaders of America has spent about $134,000 supporting Hyde-Smith.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Every major handicapper rates this Mississippi Senate race as safely in Republican hands. Cook Political Report rated it "Solid Republican" as of Oct. 12; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it "Solid Republican" as of Oct. 9; and Inside Elections rated it "Solid Republican" as of Oct. 2. Kalshi traders gave Republicans a 90.19% chance of winning as of Oct. 15 while Democrats stood at 9.81%.

The broader political landscape in Mississippi reinforces those assessments. Donald Trump carried the state with about 61 percent of the vote in the 2024 presidential election. In the state's other Senate seat, Republican Roger Wicker won re-election in 2024 with about 63 percent of the vote. Republicans won three of Mississippi's four U.S. House seats in 2022, while Democrats won one.

Polling compiled by Race to the WH through Oct. 14 showed Hyde-Smith leading Colom 45.5 percent to 36.6 percent, with 17.9 percent of voters undecided. That gap, combined with the state's consistent Republican lean, means Colom would need a dramatic shift in the electorate to close the distance before November 3.

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