Len’s Political Note #764 Scott Colom Mississippi US Senate

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November 5^th   2025.         Len’s Political Note #764 Scott Colom Mississippi US Senate

2026                                         General Election

Scott Colom

This makes no sense, right?  I write Len’s Political Notes to tell you where it would make a difference if you make a donation.  I will not tell you that if enough of you donate to Scott Colom’s campaign, he will be elected US Senator from Mississippi.  I will tell you that if enough of you donate to Scott Colom’s campaign, you will annoy the dickens out of US Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and her team.  You will make Republicans spend money where they do not want to spend money.  And I will tell you there is a teeny possibility that you could help elect Scott Colom US Senator from Mississippi.

Scott Colom grew up in Columbus, Mississippi – in the state’s northeast.  Columbus is almost as close to Memphis, Tennessee  (2hr and 45 minute drive) as it is to the Mississippi state capital of Jackson (2hr and 30 minute drive).

Scott Colom’s candidacy may be just what Chuck Schumer wanted – the strongest possible Democratic candidate for the US Senate from Mississippi.  This nomination is also an example of “what goes around, comes around.”  Joe Biden nominated Scott Colom to be a judge in the Northern District of Mississippi.  Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson was the initial referee for Scott Colom.  (You will remember Bennie Thompson as the Co-Chair of the Select Committee investigating the January 6 events.)

Scott Colom got considerable support for that nomination.  That support included Roger Wicker, Republican US Senator from Mississippi.  That support, however, did not include Cindy Hyde-Smith – the other US Senator from Mississippi, who refused to submit a blue slip to indicate support for the nomination.  She explained.  Scott Colom favored allowing transgendered women to compete in women’s sports.  And he accepted funds from a George Soros PAC.

Scott Colom asked Cindy Hyde-Smith to reconsider.  He did sign a letter that opposed efforts to criminalize transgender people and gender-affirming healthcare.  The letter had nothing to do with sports.  The George Soros contribution was to Mississippi Safety and Justice, a PAC which subsequently provided some support to Scott Colom’s  2015 campaign for District Attorney.  He was unaware of the Soros’ contribution to the PAC.  He has never received a direct campaign contribution from George Soros.

Scott Colom did not say, he may not believe it, but I do.  The Republican targeting of political contributions by George Soros and the influence of Soros’s Open Society Foundation is mixed with anti-Semitism – the part of anti-Semitism that claims that Jews are Communists and socialists.  Or is it the part that claims that Jews are millionaires (these days, billionaires) who cheat the public.

In the United States, race is rarely ignored as part of the political equation.  Scott Colom, a graduate of Millsaps College in Jackson and the University of Wisconsin Law School, worked at his own law practice back in Mississippi and then, at age 32, defeated 61 year old, 26 year District Attorney Forrest Allgood.

Scott Colom is part of a generation of African American leaders whose parents were models of leadership.  His mother was a Chancery Court Judge – an elected position in Mississippi.  That state’s Chancery Court deals with a variety of issues from domestic and family issues to estates to land matters.  The Chancery Court differs from the state Circuit Courts in that, for the most part, it deals with matters not to be resolved by financial compensation.  There are 20 Chancery Court districts in the state, all filled by district election.  Scott Colom’s father was also an attorney.  He was not only a Republican; he was an ambitious Republican.  In 1987, he was the Republican nominee for State Treasurer.  When Ronald Reagan was elected President, Wilbur Colom was a group captain on the transition team.

Scott Colom campaigns making people note his effectiveness as a prosecutor.  There is a Wikipedia page for him.  Wikipedia is crowd-sourced and reviewed by committee.  As part of the crowd sourcing, some politicians edit their page in ways favorable to them.  Sometimes, of course, the pages get revised back.  For instance, briefly, Wikipedia referred to the United States War Department.  That name was quickly restored in Wikipedia to Defense Department.

Scott Colom’s Wikipedia page notes that he successfully prosecuted more than 30 cases of murder during his ten-year tenure as District Attorney.  Three cold cases are specified as are 18 other cases.  Scott Colom wants everyone to know, including you and me, that he is good at prosecuting murder cases.

He does not forget the harm Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith did to him.  He does not call her a racist.  But we are left with the question of what her views are about and her behavior regarding race have been.  In the state legislature, she introduced a bill to name a portion of a highway for Confederate President Jefferson Davis.  On the other hand, she voted to honor the Freedom Riders, civil rights leaders, including the murdered Medgar Evers, as well as the Black reconstruction era US Senator Hiram Rhodes Revels.

Cindy Hyde-Smith voted for a resolution praising a Confederate soldier for defending “his homeland.” In a state that has not altogether let go of lynching, her informal statement in support of a local cattle rancher: If he invited her to “a public hanging, I’d be in the front row” was treated as a scandal.

She rejected any claims of racism as being ridiculous.  Not at all ridiculous, but not exactly her responsibility, her husband Mike Smith’s cousin is Noah Smith.  Noah Smith is believed by many to have murdered a civil rights activist, the entirely unrelated Lamar Smith.

Some suggest Cindy Hyde-Smith’s 2010 switch from the Democratic to Republican party in 2010 slowed Donald Trump’s endorsement of her candidacy for the Senate because her party switch came so late in Mississippi’s party transition.  It could be that her endorsement of Mitt Romney for President in 2012 was more offensive to Trump.  In general, Cindy Hyde-Smith’s views and actions on race seem to be in the mainstream of Republican thinking in Mississippi.

While race is inescapable in Mississippi, her support for the Big Beautiful Bill might be more important in the 2026 Senate campaign.  Scott Colom points out she is helping reduce the taxes of millionaires and billionaires in California and New York with money that the Democrats would, if they could, spend on health care.  The consequences of the Bill will be more rural hospitals closing in this profoundly rural state.  The loss of Affordable Care Act subsidies would raise the cost of health insurance for middle income Mississippians and reductions in Medicaid would endanger health care for lower income Mississippians.

If Scott Colom can win these arguments, he might persuade the people of Mississippi to elect him to the US Senate.  DONATE to his campaign.

In a state where the non-white proportion of the population is increasing, where a high percentage of the eligible Black population vote (offset, sadly by the high percentage of Black men ineligible because of criminal convictions), and at a time when the people of all races are threatened by the loss of food support, by the loss of medical insurance either the Medicaid reductions or reductions in subsidies for Affordable Care Insurance, there is a chance, even if it is a teeny chance, that a Black District Attorney who prosecutes crimes effectively could win election to the US Senate if he is able to raise enough money to compete.

Scott Colom needs to raise money.  Cindy Hyde-Smith reported $4 million in receipts as of September 30 and $2.3 million in cash on hand.  Scott Colom reported $600,000 on September 30 and almost $600,000 cash on hand.  DONATE.

 A December 2 Congressional Race in the South

Tennessee 07. The final special election in 2025 is a result of the incumbent’s resignation.  That there is a hint of competitiveness in the race is a result of gerrymandering that had eliminated a district centered in Nashville that typically elected a Democrat. With that district “cracked”, Tennessee 07 is now a little bit less Republican than it used to be.  The Republican nominee is Matt Van Epps, formerly Tennessee’s and Governor Lee’s Commissioner of General Services He was the man in charge of purchasing just about everything the government of the state of Tennessee bought.

The Democratic nominee is political organizer Aftyn Behn.  She organized a group called Enough is Enough to press the legislature to change how it exercised discipline over its members and its members’ staff.  Possible crimes, the group argued, should be addressed by the state Attorney General, not by the legislature itself. A little money on her behalf would be an expression of appreciation for her pursuit of a legislator who had, as a coach and teacher, sexually assaulted underage girls.  DONATE to the Aftyn Behn campaign.  See Len’s Political Note #758.

Senate Races in the South

Are there seats to defend? Are there pick up possibilities in the 11 states that seceded plus border states Kentucky, Missouri, and West Virginia?

 Virginia has a Democratic incumbent up for election – Mark Warner.  There are two Republicans seeking the seat. One of them, State Senator Bryce Reeves, has raised $800,000 – enough to take him seriously.  By September 30, Mark Warner had raised more than $16 million.  He is taking his campaign seriously. DONATE to add to Warner’s war chest.

 Georgia has a Democratic incumbent up for election.  Jon Ossoff is generally considered to be the most vulnerable Democratic Senator up for election in 2026.  A mid-September poll found Jon Ossoff tied with Congressman Mike Collins, leading Congressman Buddy Carter by 3 points, and football coach Derek Dooley by 7.  In the financial race, Jon Ossoff reported September 30 cash on hand $21million. The Republicans have less, less altogether.  Mike Collins had $600,000 cash in hand.  Buddy Carter had $3 million cash on hand.  Derek Dooley had $1.7 million cash in hand. Keep Jon Ossoff in the lead in this expensive campaign.  DONATE.  Seen Len’s Political Note #713

 North Carolina Former Governor Roy Cooper will be the Democratic nominee.  A mid-September poll found him leading former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley by 4 points.  On September 30, Roy Cooper had $11 million in receipts and $4.5 million cash in hand.  Michael Whatley had $1.4 million in receipts and $1.1 million cash in hand.  DONATE to Roy Cooper’s campaign.  Keep him in the lead.  See Len’s Political Note #744.

Texas. Below is a very brief description of the results of two polls. (There will be more polls, but I am writing this piece on October 31.)  Included below are only two Democratic candidates and two Republican candidates.  The Democrats are Former Congressman Colin Allred and State Rep James Talarico. The Republicans are the Incumbent US Senator John Cornyn and the State Attorney General Ken Paxton.

I have excluded results for Democrats Beto O’Rourke and Jasmine Crockett because O’Rourke has said he would not run and Crockett has not announced for and will probably not run for the Senate. I have excluded results for Republican Wesley Hunt because he is running behind both John Cornyn and Ken Paxton by double digits.

You can see that based on polls, on the whole, the Republicans have an edge if Cornyn is the nominee.  If Paxton is the nominee, the race is a toss-up.

The financial Race in Texas

We need to be alert to what is happening in the money race.

An establishment Republican, Incumbent Senator John Cornyn had $6 million cash on hand on September 30.

Neither a moderate nor an establishment figure, State Attorney General Ken Paxton had $3 million cash on hand on September 30

African-American, former Baylor and NFLfootball player, and civil rights attorney Colin Allred had $1.7 million cash on hand on September 30.  DONATE.

36 year- old James Talarico (who could be compared, in a Texas way, to Zohran Mamdani of New York City) is a state representative, former teacher, and is studying for a Master’s in Divinity at a Presbyterian seminary. He announced his candidacy at the beginning of September and had $5 million cash in hand on September 30.  DONATE

Kentucky is not Texas.  There are no polls for Kentucky that I could find.  With Mitch McConnell retiring, this is an open, previously Republican seat.  Two Democrats are running.  Pamela Stevenson is the state House Minority Leader, an attorney, a former Colonel in the Air Force JAG, and a pastor.  Her primary opponent is Amy McGrath, a former military pilot.  She ran against Mitch McConnell in 2020, raising $96 million, but still lost by almost  20 points.  This year Amy McGrath is a late entrant and has nothing financial yet to report. DONATE.   Pamela Stevenson is underfunded.  She has raised about $250,000 and spent almost all of it. DONATE

Among the Republicans – Congressman Andy Barr has $6.7 million cash on hand; Attorney General Daniel Cameron has raised $1.3 million and has about half of that as cash on hand; Businessman Nate Morris has receipts of $4 million of which $3 million is a loan from himself.  He has $1 million cash on hand.  If Pamela Stevenson and Daniel Cameron each win their primaries, Kentuckians will be choosing between two African Americans.

Florida is not Ohio. Like Ohio, a new Republican Senator was appointed after the 2024 election.  Florida had to replace Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State with a few other responsibilities.  In Florida and Ohio, the appointed Senators will run for election in 2026 to complete the remaining two years of the Senate term.  In Ohio, former Senator Sherrod Brown is the Democratic candidate, opposing the former Lt. Governor, now Senator Jon Husted. Neither state’s Republican Senator is a household name.

The Florida Governor appointed Attorney General, Ashley Moody to the Senate.  Deeply conservative, she has worked to foil marijuana, felony voter, and abortion legalization state referenda and to find the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. Her probable opponent in Jennifer Jenkins, a former school board member whose Educated. We Stand is intended to oppose the right-wing activist organization Moms for Liberty of a fellow board member.

A late October poll has Moody leading Jenkins 49-38.  A poll earlier in the month had Moody leading 44 to 37. In the Financial race, Jennifer Jenkins had receipts of less than $200,000 on September 30 and still had most of it as cash on hand.  Ashley Moody had $4 million in receipts; 3.6 million cash on hand.  If Jennifer Jenkins is going to have any chance at all, she has to raise some money quickly.  If you would like to be part of that DONATE.

Mississippi.  There are no polls.  As reported above, the incumbent Republican. Cindy Hyde-Smith reported $4 million in receipts as of September 30 and $2.3 million in cash on hand.  Scott Colom reported $600,000 on September 30 and almost $600,000 cash on hand.  DONATE

 Arkansas  is not Mississippi.  There are no polls either.  The Republican incumbent Tom Cotton can be ruthless.  In 2020, he held onto information about the eventual Democratic nominee until it was too late for him to be replaced by the Democratic Party if he withdrew.  The Democrat withdrew rather than have whatever the information was revealed. As a results, there was no Democratic candidate for the US Senate that year.  Tom Cotton has not yet announced his candidacy for 2026 and, therefore, has no obligation to report his resources.  The only notable Democratic candidate is farmer Hallie Shoffner who reported $650,000 in receipts on September 30 and $450,000 cash on hand.  DONATE.  Do not be shocked if Cotton displays $10 million or more when he finally announces.

South Carolina. There are no polls here either.  The Republican incumbent, Lindsey Graham, is, let us say, adaptable.  He reported 14.5 million cash on hand.  Pediatrician Annie Andrews should win the Democratic nomination and is putting up a fight.  She reported $1.2 million cash on hand.  DONATE

For the other races in the South.  I will not raise the possibility of donations here.

 West Virginia Republican Shelley Moore Capito reported $4.1 million cash on hand.  Democrat Zach Shrewsbury reported about $20,00

Louisiana. Republican incumbent Bill Cassidy has at least five primary opponents.  As of now, he has no Democratic opponents.

Tennessee Republican incumbent Bill Haggerty has a nominal Democratic opponent, but not one to whom you should donate.