Senate Democrats' top campaign group buys $1.2 million Mississippi Senate ad
In short
Senate Majority PAC, the Democrats' top Senate campaign spending group, will spend $1.2 million on a television ad backing Scott Colom against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi. The ad is set to start Wednesday and run through Election Day. The Hyde-Smith campaign said the spending came late in the race.
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Senate Majority PAC, the Democrats' top Senate campaign spending group, is entering Mississippi's U.S. Senate race for the first time this year, the Associated Press reported. The group will spend $1.2 million on a new television advertisement to boost Scott Colom, a district attorney, in his campaign against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. The ad, first disclosed to the Associated Press, is set to start Wednesday and run through Election Day. [ 2 ]
The Associated Press called the move aggressive in a deep-red state, saying it signals a party on the offensive as Republicans look to protect a slim majority. The group is aligned with Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Spokesperson Lauren French said in a statement that the group has been watching the race closely and that Colom is running a competitive race that has put Hyde-Smith on her heels. [ 2 ]
With two weeks to go, it is unclear what impact the ad will have in a matchup set since Colom won a March primary, the report said. It is a substantial investment in a race that has seen about $8 million in total spending, according to AdImpact, with Colom outspending Hyde-Smith nearly $4.6 million to $3.2 million. Jake Monssen, Hyde-Smith's campaign manager, noted that the spending was coming late in the race. He said the campaign is confident that voters will reject this radical agenda at the ballot box on November 3. [ 2 ]
Hyde-Smith, first appointed and then elected in 2018, is running for reelection in a state Republicans have long dominated. Donald Trump won Mississippi by nearly 23 percentage points over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, and a Democrat has not won a Senate race in the state since 1982. Some Democrats believe Hyde-Smith is vulnerable, the report said, noting that she underperformed Trump by 6 percentage points in 2020. The ad touts Colom's time as district attorney and labels Hyde-Smith a do-nothing senator. [ 2 ]
CNN also reported that the Democrats' top Senate super PAC is buying its first ads in a Senate race in Mississippi. Its Inside Politics panel discussed whether the resources are better spent elsewhere. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The Associated Press described the move in a deep-red state as a sign of a party on the offensive while Republicans look to protect a slim Senate majority. The documents do not say what effect the ad will have.
Key facts
- Senate Majority PAC will spend $1.2 million on a new television ad to boost Scott Colom, a district attorney, in his campaign against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. [ 2 ]
- The ad is set to start Wednesday and run through Election Day. [ 2 ]
- It is the group's first involvement in Mississippi's Senate race this year. [ 2 ]
- AdImpact data show about $8 million in total spending in the race, with Colom outspending Hyde-Smith nearly $4.6 million to $3.2 million. [ 2 ]
- Hyde-Smith campaign manager Jake Monssen said voters will reject what he called a radical agenda on November 3. [ 2 ]
- Colom won a March primary, which set the matchup. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- What impact the ad will have on the race. The Associated Press report said it is unclear, with two weeks to go in the race.