Donald Trump is heading to Mississippi to campaign for Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith as her race gets closer. Democrat Scott Colom has cut into her lead, with new polls and extra campaign cash putting a state long loyal to the GOP back in focus.
Mississippi has not sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982. Trump also beat his rival there by about 23 points in the last presidential race. Yet the Cook Political Report has moved the contest from its safest GOP rating to a less firm one.
Colom, a district attorney, has made health care, food prices, and graft his main issues. His campaign has drawn support from Black and white workers, while his ads aim to reach people upset about the cost of daily life.
One clip has drawn a lot of views online. It shows Hyde-Smith telling people they have other protein choices when beef gets pricey. Colom's team used that remark in an ad where a man at a grill suggests voters could choose a new senator instead.
And he has had help from some major Democratic names. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Raphael Warnock have joined him at campaign events. Barack Obama has also backed him through a video ad.
There is a historic angle as well. A Colom victory would make him the first Black person from Mississippi to serve in the Senate since Reconstruction. He has not made that his main pitch, though. Black residents account for roughly 37 percent of the state's population.
Colom has also accused Hyde-Smith of backing health care cuts, failing farmers, and blocking access to files tied to Jeffrey Epstein. He claims Trump's campaign stop reflects concern within the GOP, though those charges remain part of his political case against her.
Republicans disagree with that view. Trump has praised Hyde-Smith's support in the state and says her poll numbers remain strong. Her campaign manager, Jake Monssen, argues that Colom's liberal policies do not appeal to many local voters.
Both parties have also brought in outside groups to pay for ads. Democrats need four GOP-held seats to gain Senate control, and Mississippi has drawn fresh attention despite its long Republican record.
Mississippi has not sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982. Trump also beat his rival there by about 23 points in the last presidential race. Yet the Cook Political Report has moved the contest from its safest GOP rating to a less firm one.
Colom, a district attorney, has made health care, food prices, and graft his main issues. His campaign has drawn support from Black and white workers, while his ads aim to reach people upset about the cost of daily life.
One clip has drawn a lot of views online. It shows Hyde-Smith telling people they have other protein choices when beef gets pricey. Colom's team used that remark in an ad where a man at a grill suggests voters could choose a new senator instead.
And he has had help from some major Democratic names. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Raphael Warnock have joined him at campaign events. Barack Obama has also backed him through a video ad.
There is a historic angle as well. A Colom victory would make him the first Black person from Mississippi to serve in the Senate since Reconstruction. He has not made that his main pitch, though. Black residents account for roughly 37 percent of the state's population.
Colom has also accused Hyde-Smith of backing health care cuts, failing farmers, and blocking access to files tied to Jeffrey Epstein. He claims Trump's campaign stop reflects concern within the GOP, though those charges remain part of his political case against her.
Republicans disagree with that view. Trump has praised Hyde-Smith's support in the state and says her poll numbers remain strong. Her campaign manager, Jake Monssen, argues that Colom's liberal policies do not appeal to many local voters.
Both parties have also brought in outside groups to pay for ads. Democrats need four GOP-held seats to gain Senate control, and Mississippi has drawn fresh attention despite its long Republican record.
