Mississippi Senate race draws attention as Black voter turnout takes center stage

Democrat Scott Colom is running against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's race for the U.S. Senate, the chamber of Congress where each state elects two members. NPR published an analysis on Oct. 27, 2026, describing the contest as a potential upset driven by Black voter turnout and what it called Trump fatigue.

Mississippi is a rural, agriculture-heavy state and one of the poorest in the country. Close to 40% of its voters are Black, the highest share of any state. Donald Trump won Mississippi by 23 points in 2024.

Colom needs a very large turnout among Black voters, along with about 25% of the White vote, to win, according to Charles Taylor, as CNN reported on Oct. 21, 2026. The Washington Post reported on Oct. 25 that Colom has a chance to win the race. Reuters described the race on Oct. 26 as unexpectedly competitive, giving Democrats a rare opening in the congressional elections.

Campaign activity has picked up in the state. Former Vice President Kamala Harris joined Colom at a rally in Columbus on Oct. 22, where about 1,000 people attended an event held in a high school gym. On Oct. 26, Trump held a campaign rally in Corinth, where he embraced Hyde-Smith, according to NPR.

Senate Democrats' campaign spending group entered the race for the first time this cycle, the Associated Press reported on Oct. 20. NPR said both parties have rushed to spend millions of dollars in Mississippi in the final weeks before the election.

Hyde-Smith blocked Colom's nomination to be a federal judge during the Biden administration, NPR reported.