Scott Colom’s Bid to Flip Mississippi’s Senate Seat Gains National Attention

With one week left before the midterm election, Scott Colom’s campaign office in Corinth was filled with volunteers conducting phone-banking and preparing for a second day of outreach. Colom’s own remarks emphasized a need to represent Mississippi’s values and vision.

The Guardian

On 14 October, Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock traveled to Jackson to campaign for Colom, raising more than $500,000 for the candidate’s committee. Additional national figures—including Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester and Angela Alsobrooks, as well as former presidential candidates Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris—have visited the state, and Barack Obama released a campaign advertisement urging a change.

The Guardian

Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982 and has not sent a Black senator to Washington since 1875. Colom, the first Black district attorney for the 16th circuit, boasts a 94 % conviction success rate from his tenure. To win, he must secure the state’s sizable Black electorate and capture roughly a quarter of the white vote, a demographic that traditionally leans Republican. Hyde-Smith, in office for eight years, has co-sponsored 32 bills that became law but has not authored any legislation herself.

The Guardian

As of 27 October, more than 56,000 absentee ballots had been cast in Mississippi, up sharply from 22,221 in the 2022 election cycle. The state does not offer early voting, making absentee ballots a critical component of the upcoming turnout.

The Guardian

• “The Democrats just basically conceded the state,” — Scott Colom

The Guardian

• “I put these pictures up to remind myself of the joy in it,” — Scott Colom

The Guardian

• “I am here because I am tired of the South being overlooked or diminished in terms of its electoral importance,” — Raphael Warnock, the georgia senator

The Guardian

• “If I’m Colom, I’m only upset that the Democrats waited so late,” — Marvin King

The Guardian

• “I feel like I need to do everything I can to represent the values and vision of the people of Mississippi,” — Scott Colom

The Guardian