Colom's final-week Mississippi Senate push draws $1.7 million in Democratic ad money

Democrat Scott Colom is closing his Mississippi Senate campaign with a late burst of outside money and attention. The vote is Tuesday, November 3. His opponent is Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

On October 20, Senate Majority PAC announced a $1.2 million ad campaign for Colom. The group is a Democratic super PAC, an outside group that can raise and spend money separately from a campaign. The ads run on broadcast TV and digital ¹, and are set to start Wednesday and run through Election Day ².

On tapeNBC News · Oct 30

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Eight days later, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the party's Senate fundraising arm, said it was spending $500,000 on a coordinated ad buy with Colom ³. That ad has Colom talking about his time as a district attorney. It says Hyde-Smith has "forgotten" the state ³.

What each side says

A Senate Majority PAC spokesperson, Lauren French, said Colom is running a competitive race and has Hyde-Smith on the defensive ². Colom's campaign manager, Gerard Henderson, said the campaign has the resources and momentum to win ².

From Channel GOPColom: 200,000 Mississippians lost health insurance this yearScott Colom · 143 plays · captioned, with the source named

Hyde-Smith's campaign has pushed back. Her campaign manager, Jake Monssen, called the Democratic spending an effort by "Washington insiders making a last ditch effort to give life to Scott Colom's failing campaign" ¹.

We are confident that Mississippians will once again send Cindy Hyde-Smith back to the U.S. Senate on November 3rd.

A fight over an AI video

The final stretch has also brought a dispute over a Colom social media video. Attorney General Lynn Fitch wrote on October 23 that Colom may have broken state law with an AI-generated ad showing Hyde-Smith. She cited a Mississippi law that carries up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. She said her office might seek an injunction if the videos stayed up ⁴.

On tapeMS NOW · Oct 28

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Colom said he would take the post down rather than spend donor money on a legal fight. The Mississippi Free Press reported that he removed it from social media ⁴. This is an allegation from the attorney general. No court has ruled on it ⁴.

The uphill math

The odds remain long. ABC News rates the race "solid Republican." Trump won Mississippi in 2024 by nearly 23 percentage points ². The state has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982 ¹.

Trump campaigned with Hyde-Smith earlier this week ³. Semafor also reported that Hyde-Smith blocked Colom's nomination to a federal judgeship under President Biden. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the state's people remember that ³. In August, Schumer called the race a long shot but described Hyde-Smith as vulnerable ³.

What happens next

Voters decide Tuesday. The Senate Majority PAC ads run through Election Day ², and the DSCC ad will run statewide on TV and digital starting Thursday ³. If Colom wins, it would be the first Democratic Senate victory in Mississippi in more than four decades ¹.

That matters because parties usually spend late money only where they see a path. The money is also a test of whether Democratic optimism in the South turns into votes. Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, has argued the party has missed chances to invest in the South in a serious and sustained way ².

The Record

1. Nov 2, 1982Mississippi last elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 1982, according to ABC News ¹.
2. Oct 20, 2026Senate Majority PAC announced a $1.2 million ad campaign for Colom ².
3. Oct 23, 2026Attorney General Lynn Fitch said Colom may have broken state law with an AI-generated video of Hyde-Smith. Colom said he would delete the post ⁴.
4. Oct 28, 2026The DSCC announced a $500,000 coordinated ad buy with Colom ³.

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<h2>Colom&#39;s final-week Mississippi Senate push draws $1.7 million in Democratic ad money</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/colom-s-final-week-mississippi-senate-push-draws-1-7-million-in-democratic-ad-money">The GOP Files</a> on Saturday, October 31, 2026.</em></p> <p>Democrat Scott Colom is closing his Mississippi Senate campaign with a late burst of outside money and attention. The vote is Tuesday, November 3. His opponent is Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.</p> <p>On October 20, Senate Majority PAC announced a $1.2 million ad campaign for Colom. The group is a Democratic super PAC, an outside group that can raise and spend money separately from a campaign. The ads run on broadcast TV and digital , and are set to start Wednesday and run through Election Day .</p> <p>Eight days later, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the party&#39;s Senate fundraising arm, said it was spending $500,000 on a coordinated ad buy with Colom . That ad has Colom talking about his time as a district attorney. It says Hyde-Smith has &quot;forgotten&quot; the state .</p> <h2>What each side says</h2> <p>A Senate Majority PAC spokesperson, Lauren French, said Colom is running a competitive race and has Hyde-Smith on the defensive . Colom&#39;s campaign manager, Gerard Henderson, said the campaign has the resources and momentum to win .</p> <p>Hyde-Smith&#39;s campaign has pushed back. Her campaign manager, Jake Monssen, called the Democratic spending an effort by &quot;Washington insiders making a last ditch effort to give life to Scott Colom&#39;s failing campaign&quot; .</p> <blockquote><p>We are confident that Mississippians will once again send Cindy Hyde-Smith back to the U.S. Senate on November 3rd.</p><p>&mdash; Jake Monssen, campaign manager for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss.</p></blockquote> <h2>A fight over an AI video</h2> <p>The final stretch has also brought a dispute over a Colom social media video. Attorney General Lynn Fitch wrote on October 23 that Colom may have broken state law with an AI-generated ad showing Hyde-Smith. She cited a Mississippi law that carries up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. She said her office might seek an injunction if the videos stayed up .</p> <p>Colom said he would take the post down rather than spend donor money on a legal fight. The Mississippi Free Press reported that he removed it from social media . This is an allegation from the attorney general. No court has ruled on it .</p> <h2>The uphill math</h2> <p>The odds remain long. ABC News rates the race &quot;solid Republican.&quot; Trump won Mississippi in 2024 by nearly 23 percentage points . The state has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982 .</p> <p>Trump campaigned with Hyde-Smith earlier this week . Semafor also reported that Hyde-Smith blocked Colom&#39;s nomination to a federal judgeship under President Biden. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the state&#39;s people remember that . In August, Schumer called the race a long shot but described Hyde-Smith as vulnerable .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Voters decide Tuesday. The Senate Majority PAC ads run through Election Day , and the DSCC ad will run statewide on TV and digital starting Thursday . If Colom wins, it would be the first Democratic Senate victory in Mississippi in more than four decades .</p> <p>That matters because parties usually spend late money only where they see a path. The money is also a test of whether Democratic optimism in the South turns into votes. Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, has argued the party has missed chances to invest in the South in a serious and sustained way .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/colom-s-final-week-mississippi-senate-push-draws-1-7-million-in-democratic-ad-money">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/colom-s-final-week-mississippi-senate-push-draws-1-7-million-in-democratic-ad-money.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. ABC News, “Democrats aim for deep-red Mississippi Senate seat as Scott Colom argues he can unseat Republican incumbent” (2026-10-25). abcnews.com/Politics/democrats-aim-deep-red-mississippi-sena
2. PBS NewsHour (AP), “Senate Democrats launch first ad in Mississippi as their midterm optimism spreads in the South” (2026-10-20). pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-democrats-launch-first-ad-i
3. Semafor, “Senate Dems put $500,000 into Mississippi” (2026-10-28). semafor.com/article/10/28/2026/senate-dems-put-500000-into-m
4. Mississippi Free Press, “Scott Colom May Have Broken Mississippi Law with AI Ad of Cindy Hyde-Smith, Lynn Fitch Says” (2026-10-23). mississippifreepress.org/scott-colom-may-have-broken-mississ

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