Scott Colom Wins Mississippi Democratic Primary, Will Challenge Senate Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith

Scott Colom won the Mississippi Democratic primary and will challenge Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in the November general election, according to major outlets’ calls and projections.

“Mississippi’s Senate primaries set up a general election showdown between an incumbent and a challenger she blocked from federal judgeship”

CNN

The New York Times reported the Democratic primary race as called and described Colom as a district attorney backed by top Democrats who is widely favored to win the chance for a long-shot contest against Hyde-Smith.

CNN

CNN projected that both Hyde-Smith and Colom won their respective primaries and will face off in November, framing the matchup as set after primary-night results.

Colom’s background and national attention: Scott Colom is the district attorney whose candidacy drew national Democratic support and attention, with The New York Times noting he had backing from top Democrats in the state.

CNN highlighted that Colom was previously nominated by President Joe Biden for a U.S. district court judgeship — a lifetime post — a nomination that drew opposition from Hyde-Smith three years earlier.

The New York Times

The CNN reporting situates Colom’s primary victory in the context of that earlier, high-profile dispute over his judicial nomination.

Why Hyde-Smith opposed Colom’s nomination and issues raised during the nomination fight: CNN reports that Hyde-Smith publicly opposed Colom’s judicial nomination citing past support he received tied to liberal donor George Soros and his record on transgender rights.

“Mississippi’s Senate primaries set up a general election showdown between an incumbent and a challenger she blocked from federal judgeship”

CNN

CNN quoted Hyde-Smith saying she opposed the nomination because of Soros-linked donations to a PAC that backed Colom’s earlier campaign, and noted Colom had been one of several prosecutors to sign a 2021 letter condemning efforts to criminalize transgender people and gender-affirming healthcare.

General election outlook: multiple outlets and the Times’ analysis frame the November contest as an uphill climb for Democrats in a state that has long trended Republican.

CNN noted Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982 and reported that President Donald Trump won the state in 2024 by 23 points, concluding Hyde-Smith will be heavily favored in the general even as Democrats point to modest gains in certain areas and Colom’s statewide profile.

The New York Times

The New York Times contextualized the race as a long-shot opportunity for Democrats despite those headwinds.