Congressional midterms are 132 days away, and candidates looking to unseat incumbents in Mississippi had unfettered access to the audience at one of the state’s most prominent political stumps on Wednesday
The Neshoba County Fair opened the first of its two-day lineup of political speaking with elected officeholders and hopefuls alike articulating their outlook for the state inside the Pavilion at Founder’s Square — a podium popularized by Ronald Reagan delivering a speech there during his 1980 presidential campaign.
This year, with a U.S. Senate and a U.S. House post in the fairgrounds’ district up for grabs, a trio of non-Republican candidates capitalized on the opportunity to sway a traditionally GOP-heavy crowd in their favor. And they did so with Republican incumbents U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and U.S. Rep Michael Guest absent, due to having to fulfill congressional obligations in the nation’s capital
Here are the candidates challenging the incumbents, and what they had to say.
Michael Chiaradio, Democratic candidate for 3rd Congressional District
Chiaradio, a former professional baseball player turned farmer who prides himself on raising sheep, pigs, and cattle in the small town of Shubuta, is challenging Guest.
Chiaradio’s bid for Congress stems from a desire to mend what he believes is a persistent political divide in both Mississippi and Washington. The Democratic candidate moved to a rural area of the state just a few years ago, and he has found that it is possible to unite Mississippians around the creed that the populace is more aligned than it differs.
“When I came here, I didn’t think we were divided as our politics would tell us,” said Chiaradio, who ran unopposed on the Democratic ticket in the March primaries. “I didn’t believe it would matter if I moved in next to a white person or a Black person, or next to a Democrat or a Republican, because I believed, when I got here, I would find good people, people with whom I could work to build a better life — and I was right.”
Pointing to the community in the small town he moved to, Chiaradio said his ultimate goal as a congressman would be to bring people from all races and backgrounds together to iron out differences in opinion and find a common ground that would serve the greater good.
“I believe we, the people, are ready to come together not as team left or team right or team red or team blue, but we are ready as the people, to finally demand that this government works for us,” Chiaradio said. “It’s not because we’ll always agree. We won’t. We will not always agree. There will always be internal battles. But as long as we stay together, those battles are a good thing.”
As for his policy proposals, Chiaradio said he would work to help build Mississippi’s infrastructure in a manner that benefits citizens and helps reel in economic development projects. On education, he said he would fight for teacher pay raises and efforts to attract the best educators to the state. He also championed his support for programs offering healthcare and financial aid to senior citizens, along with more funding to boost small businesses and local farms.
“We should have faith in our potential. We want these United States to be free and prosperous and strong — a country that’s respected all over the world and a country that its citizens are proud of. I believe in that United States,” Chiaradio said. “I believe we can lead that from right here in Mississippi. The future of this nation runs through us.”
At no point in his speech did Chiaradio mention Guest in a positive or negative light.
Ty Pinkins, independent candidate for U.S. Senate
After failed attempts at running for office at both the state and federal levels as a Democrat, Pinkins has decided to go the independent route in his pursuit to unseat Hyde-Smith. Pinkins, a Delta attorney and U.S. Army veteran, used his stump speech at the Neshoba County Fair to explain why he is challenging the two-party system that has effectively dominated the American political scene.
“I’m running as an independent veteran for Mississippi because leaders for both parties in Washington have failed to live up to the principle (Thomas) Jefferson put on paper nearly 250 years ago,” Pinkins said, referring to the Declaration of Independence.
“For nearly half a century, both political parties have had chances to lead under unified government, controlling the White House, the House of Representatives, and the United States Senate at the same time,” he continued. “They had the power. They had the votes. They had the opportunity to deliver lasting change, and still, we’re dealing with a broken immigration system, rising prices, unaffordable healthcare, and war after war.”
Pinkins used the metaphor of a roof leak going unfixed for years, despite a relatively consistent turnover in contractors being hired to fix the leak, to underscore what he believes to be a chronic failure by elected officials from both the Republican and Democratic parties in solving everyday problems affecting Americans.
“The truth is, if both parties had the opportunity to fix it, then both parties share responsibility for it being broken,” Pinkins said. “They’ve had their hands stuck in the ‘big money cookie jar’ for so long now that they no longer know how to govern for everyday people.”
If elected, Pinkins said he would work to ban congressional stock trading and overturn the 2010 Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court ruling, which prohibited the government from restricting political expenditures by corporations and labor unions. He also said he would work with lawmakers to pass a federal budget, lower gas prices, and make healthcare and grocery costs more affordable.
“This is our country. Our grandparents built it. Our parents carried it forward. Our sons and daughters defend it. Our teachers, nurses, farmers, workers, and small business owners keep it going every day,” Pinkins exclaimed. “When did we bend the knee to the big money controlling our elected officials? When did we accept the idea that a millionaire’s checkbook is more powerful than a citizen’s vote?
“This country does not belong to millionaires or billionaires buying access in Washington. It does not belong to corporate [political action committees], lobbyists, party bosses, or the two political parties that help create this state that we’re in today. It belongs to we the people.”
While not referring to his opponents by name, Pinkins asserted that he was the only candidate in the race not bought and paid for by special interest groups. The independent said that he has not accepted any funds from big-money donors, political action committees, or even the pro-Israel lobby, which he accused of influencing U.S. policy.
Scott Colom, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate
Colom, a longtime district attorney in the Golden Triangle, is running to unseat Hyde-Smith because he believes Mississippians deserve better representation in the nation’s capital. Reflecting on when he last attended the Neshoba County Fair at age 9 with his then-Republican father, Wilbur Colom, a former Ronald Reagan staffer, the Democratic Senate hopeful said his time at Founder’s Square taught him the art of seeing value in working across the aisle for the betterment of Mississippi.
“My parents taught me that public service is about spectacles. It’s about people, about knowing the difference between right and wrong, and about doing right, even when it’s hard. They raised me on a simple idea — Mississippi has been good to us, so I have an obligation to give back to those who raised me,” Colom said. “That’s how I’ve spent my whole career as a prosecutor, keeping people safe and the courtroom fair.”
Colom touted that in his 10 years as DA, he’s tried 35 jury trials and only lost one. And as a prosecutor, he lauded his ability to prioritize law and order over partisan agendas. Referring to himself as a candidate to be “Mississippi’s senator,” rather than a Democratic lawmaker, Colom said he’d work to protect ideals both sides champion.
For example, some conservative-friendly agenda items Colom said he’d back include securing the U.S.-Mexico border and gun rights for citizens. On the other side, he said he would challenge any proposed cuts to healthcare programs, like Medicaid. Colom, like Pinkins, said he would vote to prevent lawmakers from profiting from stock trading. He added that he would vote to release the Epstein Files, where wealthy and powerful people are accused of committing sex crimes against children.
“I’m running on commonsense Mississippi values. As a prosecutor, I understand the importance of keeping our borders secure, and I won’t compromise on that. As a father, I understand the importance of the Second Amendment and making sure that we can protect our families,” Colom said.
“But I also have commonsense things (I’m running on). I know that people are struggling out there,” he continued. “Costs are high, wages are stagnant, our healthcare and our hospitals are at risk, and we need a senator who’s going to fight for the commonsense issues that are going to make Mississippi better. We need somebody who is going to stand up to the corruption we’re seeing in D.C. and stand up to the betrayal. That’s why I’m running.”
Unlike Pinkins, Colom took the opportunity to dish multiple jabs at Hyde-Smith, accusing the senator of turning her back on farmers, accepting large sums of money from corporations responsible for harming Mississippi’s agriculture industry, and voting for tax cuts that benefit billionaires, rather than ordinary citizens.
“She cashes checks from a giant [fertilizer] corporations now under federal investigation for cheating prices while our farmers watch fertilizer prices spike by nearly 60%,” Colom said, referring to Koch Industries and Nutrien. “Corruption is one thing, but it sits at the heart of a bigger betrayal … The senator who is supposed to fight for us is nowhere to be found.”
Other policy measures Colom said he would champion are efforts to protect Mississippi’s rural hospitals, cut taxes for first responders and educators, and lower costs on groceries and healthcare.
Hyde-Smith and Guest provide statements in their absence
Hyde-Smith’s camp provided a statement to SuperTalk Mississippi News in the senator’s absence from the Neshoba County Fair. In the statement, the senator’s team highlighted Hyde-Smith’s commitment to helping carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda on border security, the economy, and agriculture, while simultaneously defending Mississippi’s values.
“While Senator Hyde-Smith will be carrying out her duties in Washington and unable to attend the Neshoba County Fair this year, Mississippi voters know exactly where she stands,” Hyde-Smith’s campaign manager Jake Monssen said. “Senator Hyde-Smith is fighting alongside President Trump to secure our border, strengthen our economy, support our farmers and military, and defend the conservative values Mississippians hold dear.”
The senator’s team then pivoted to Colom’s record, accusing him of being a puppet for national Democratic leadership and bankrolled by outside influences who possess core principles that are averse to those of Mississippians.
“This election is a clear choice. Senator Hyde-Smith is a proven conservative who puts Mississippi first. Scott Colom was handpicked by Chuck Schumer and the D.C. liberal elite,” Monssen added. “His political career has been bankrolled by out-of-state liberal money, including support from George Soros. That’s exactly how Scott Colom campaigns, relying on left-wing billionaires and Washington insiders to tell Mississippians how to vote.”
Hyde-Smith’s team further contended that Colom is soft on crime and a defender of transgender surgeries for minors, adding that his values do not reflect those of Mississippians. The incumbent’s team did not mention Pinkins in the statement.
Guest, on the other hand, took a more diplomatic approach, offering a more general overview as to why he had to miss the political speaking portion of the Neshoba County Fair, while adding that he is grateful to represent Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional district in Washington, D.C.
“Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to speak at the Neshoba County Fair this year due to the House being in session and voting in D.C.,” U.S. Rep. Michael Guest told SuperTalk Mississippi News. “I was able to attend the fair on Sunday and enjoyed the time spent with constituents. The Neshoba County Fair has been a part of Mississippi history for 137 years, and I am honored to represent Neshoba County in Congress.”
Congressional midterms will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3.