By Jim Ellis — Thursday, October 15, 2026
Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R)
A Wedgewood Polls survey of 511 likely general election voters, conducted online from Oct. 12-14, shows Sen. Cindy Hyde‑Smith (R) leading eastern regional Mississippi District Attorney Scott Colom (D) by just 52–48 percent.
The sample size is small for a statewide poll, and the questionnaire consists of only a single item: the ballot test. While the demographic and political weighting appears consistent with statewide benchmarks, the absence of undecided or refusing respondents strongly suggests that the published results reflect only those who answered the ballot question, not the full set of individuals who opened the email invitation. The pollsters did not disclose the total number of opens, leaving the true response rate unknown.
Because Mississippi is one of only three states, Alabama and New Hampshire being the other two, that do not offer early voting, the race will not provide early vote progression indicators. Therefore, this contest will culminate on Nov. 3.
In recent weeks, both parties and their allied outside groups have invested heavily to supplement candidate spending. According to The Down-Ballot political blog, a Soros‑aligned Super PAC previously spent $1.6 million to boost Colom, Now the American Bridge Super PAC is adding more than $2 million in advertising, alongside roughly $500,000 from other groups. Republican outside organizations have countered with $1.6 million to support Hyde‑Smith.
Then-Gov. Phil Bryant (R) appointed Cindy Hyde-Smith, then the state’s Agriculture Commissioner, to the US Senate in 2018 to replace resigned Sen. Thad Cochran (R) who left his position due to health reasons. He would pass away a year later.
In electoral campaigns, Sen. Hyde-Smith won a succeeding 2018 special election to serve the balance of her appointed term, scoring a tight 53-47 percent victory against former US Agriculture Secretary and ex-Mississippi Congressman Mike Espy (D) after she was forced into a runoff election. She then won a full term in 2020, again against Espy, by an improved 54-44 vote percentage margin. Previously, Hyde-Smith had won two statewide terms as Agriculture Commissioner, after serving three four-year terms in the Mississippi Senate. She was originally elected to the legislature as a Democrat, switching to the Republican Party in 2010.
The Mississippi political expenditures depict another place where the national Democratic Party apparatus and their outside allies are spending to add competitive states with hopes of striking political lightning to propel the party into the Senate majority.
The Mississippi spending augments their efforts in South Carolina where Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and former congressional candidate, is receiving heavy backing against appointed Sen. Darline Graham (R), and in solid Republican Rocky Mountain and Midwest states such as Idaho, Nebraska, and South Dakota where the Democratic nominee has withdrawn and the party apparatus is supporting Independent candidates who are previous Democrats.
With a 53-47 Senate Republican majority, Democrats must retain all four of their vulnerable 2026 in-cycle states, meaning Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Hampshire, and score victories in at least four Republican-held states.
The North Carolina contest featuring former Gov. Roy Cooper (D) and ex-Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley is headed the Democrats’ way, meaning of the 13 additional states where they are attacking Republican incumbents or open seats, the party must win an additional three to achieve their goal of reclaiming the chamber majority.
It remains to be seen if the Democratic move of expanding the playing field with what can be described as a “Hail Mary” strategy, coined to describe a football team throwing a long desperation pass at the end of the game to score an upset touchdown, will pay dividends on Nov. 3.