Scott Colom, a Democrat seeking the U.S. Senate seat held by Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, continues to break intraparty records on the fundraising front. Hyde-Smith, on the other hand, still has more money in the bank and has criticized her potential general election opponent as being “funded by George Soros.”
Colom’s campaign announced Friday that it brought in more than $1 million since his campaign launch on Sept. 3. A news release said it was the “most raised by a Democratic statewide candidate in Mississippi history” in that time frame, and that his fourth-quarter contributions outpaced Hyde-Smith’s. Between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, Colom raised $427,000 while Hyde-Smith raised $425,000.
“This campaign has always been about putting Mississippi families first, and the energy and enthusiasm on the ground prove that Mississippians are ready for a change,” Colom stated. “People living in all 82 counties are joining our movement because they’re tired of having a senator who doesn’t show up and doesn’t fight for us. That’s why we’re building the strongest grassroots campaign our state has ever seen, and this is just the beginning.”
The latest fundraising update from Colom comes after his campaign announced that over $600,000 had been raised by the end of September, the most any Democratic Senate candidate in Mississippi had raised in their first quarter. The previous was Mike Espy’s $414,000 in his unsuccessful bid against Hyde-Smith in 2020.
Colom, a former judge and prosecutor, is currently the district attorney for Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay, and Noxubee counties. He has held the position for over a decade and has received bipartisan support on the way to being reelected twice. His Senate campaign has focused heavily on working across the aisle if it results in legislation improving everyday life in Mississippi – especially in regard to healthcare, a category the state consistently ranks among the worst in.
Hyde-Smith may have trailed Colom in fourth-quarter fundraising, but she still holds a significant cash advantage. According to her most recent filing, her campaign has raised nearly $4 million cycle-to-date.
In a statement provided by Hyde-Smith’s campaign, it touted a recent “six-figure event” at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago and an upcoming event with Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) in Jackson. The campaign also accused Colom of receiving contributions from left-leaning billionaire George Soros, something Hyde-Smith used to justify blocking a federal judgeship Colom was up for in 2022.
Federal Election Commission records show Colom has received two contributions from the Soros family: a $7,000 check from Soros, and another for the same amount from his son, Alexander. The New York Times reported, as part of a larger story covering a Trump administration-directed investigation into the Soros’ philanthropic endeavors, that Alexander held a fundraiser at his New York home for Colom in September. In a previous run for district attorney, a Soros-founded political action committee spent heavily on ads supporting Colom but did not send direct funds to his campaign.
“Support for Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is robust and enthusiastic across the state and around the country. We continue to break all our previous records for fundraising, fueled by broad grassroots support in Mississippi,” a statement from Hyde-Smith’s campaign reads.
“Meanwhile, our general election opponent continues to be funded by George Soros and is being promoted by the absolute worst of all open border, big socialist government-backing woke tyrants in the national Democratic party,” the statement continued. “We have to stop them, and we will.”
But before Hyde-Smith and Colom can meet in November’s general election, each has to win their respective primary. Colom has two Democratic opponents, Albert Littell and Priscilla Till. Hyde-Smith is being challenged on the Republican side by Sarah Adlakha, who has been outspoken against Hyde-Smith’s campaign accepting donations from lobbying groups.
Hyde-Smith is seeking a second full term after being appointed to the Senate in April 2018. She previously served as the state’s agriculture commissioner and as a state senator.