Democrat Scott Colom Challenges Republican Senate Seat in Mississippi
A Democrat entering Mississippi's Senate race tests whether Trump's reported approval decline translates into ballot results in one of the nation's most reliably Republican states.
Democrat Scott Colom has entered the 2026 Senate race in Mississippi, seeking to unseat a Republican incumbent in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982, when John Stennis won his final term, according to congressional election records.
Colom currently serves as a district attorney in Mississippi's 16th Circuit Court District, a position he has held since 2015, according to Mississippi state court records. His entry into the race was reported by ABC News, which noted that national Democrats are pointing to polling data showing declining approval ratings for President Trump as a reason for optimism.
Mississippi is among the most Republican states in the country by federal election outcomes. In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump carried Mississippi by approximately 16 percentage points over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, according to certified results from the Mississippi Secretary of State's office.
The ABC News report cited polls indicating that Trump's approval rating has declined since his return to office, though the outlet did not specify which polls or provide margin-of-error data. The Congressional Times was unable to independently verify the specific polling figures referenced, as no named poll or pollster was cited in the available source material. Verified polling data would need to come from a named polling organization's published crosstabs.
Colom's campaign finance activity, including any fundraising totals or donor base, was not available in the source material at the time of publication. Federal Election Commission filings, which are publicly searchable at fec.gov, would show all contributions and expenditures once the campaign's first reporting deadline has passed.
The Republican incumbent holding the seat was not named in the available source material. The two current Republican U.S. Senators from Mississippi are Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, both of whose terms and electoral histories are documented in Senate records. Senate terms and election cycles indicate that Wicker's seat is on the 2026 ballot, as he was last elected in 2018 for a six-year term, per Senate records.
National Democratic Party investment commitments in the Mississippi race, including any funding from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, were not documented in the source material. DSCC expenditure and independent expenditure filings at the FEC would reveal any coordinated or independent spending once it occurs.
Historically, Democrats have attempted to compete in deep-red Senate races during cycles when they perceived favorable national environments. In 2017, Democrat Doug Jones won a special Senate election in Alabama, then considered a comparable political environment, before losing reelection in 2020 to Republican Tommy Tuberville by approximately 20 percentage points, according to Alabama Secretary of State certified results.
Colom's specific policy platform was not detailed in the available source material. Campaign websites and FEC filing disclosures would contain official position statements and financial disclosures as the race develops.
The 2026 midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, 2026. Primary election dates for Mississippi federal races are set by the Mississippi Secretary of State's office and had not been specified in the available source material at the time of publication.
What remains unknown includes the identity of any Republican primary candidates, the current incumbent's reelection strategy, any polling conducted specifically on the Colom matchup, and DSCC or NRSC financial commitments to the race. FEC filings due after each quarterly deadline and any named public polling would answer those questions.
For related 2026 midterm coverage, see Obama Campaigns in Cleveland for Brown, Acton in 2026 Midterm Cycle.