--- title: "Scott Colom’s Mississippi Senate bid tests Democratic Senate hopes" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/scott-coloms-mississippi-senate-bid-tests-democratic-senate-hopes" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/scott-coloms-mississippi-senate-bid-tests-democratic-senate-hopes" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/scott-coloms-mississippi-senate-bid-tests-democratic-senate-hopes.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/scott-coloms-mississippi-senate-bid-tests-democratic-senate-hopes" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-08T02:45:43.223Z" source_reported: "2026-08-07T21:07:46.000Z" updated: "2026-08-08T02:45:43.223Z" trust_score: 74 critic_score: 68 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-07T22:44:14.917Z" --- # Scott Colom’s Mississippi Senate bid tests Democratic Senate hopes *Democrats must gain four seats to win control, and Colom’s campaign is one of several in traditionally Republican states* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 74 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports from left and centre outlets. - Craft 68 of 100, higher is better. Clear structure, quotes from key figures. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Measured language in headlines and reports. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Scott Colom is the Democratic nominee challenging Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race. - Democrats need to gain at least four Senate seats to win a majority, and Mississippi is one of several unexpected states in play. - Colom would be Mississippi’s first Black senator since Reconstruction if elected, and the state’s first new Democratic senator since the 1940s. - The Mississippi governor’s 2023 race was decided by 3 percentage points, a margin Colom hopes to replicate. Scott Colom, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Mississippi, is running against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in a race that could influence control of the chamber. Democrats must gain at least four seats to secure a majority, and Mississippi is one of several states where the party is testing its reach beyond traditional battlegrounds. Colom, currently a district attorney, would be Mississippi’s first Black senator since Reconstruction if elected. He would also be the state’s first new Democratic senator since the 1940s. The Mississippi governor’s 2023 race was decided by 3 percentage points, a margin Colom has cited as evidence that his campaign could be competitive. Hyde-Smith, who was first appointed and then elected in 2018, is portraying Colom as too liberal for Mississippi. Colom has argued that her loyalty to former President Donald Trump and his policies have hurt Mississippi farmers, consumers and those needing health insurance. Mississippi requires a majority to win a statewide election, and minor candidates on the ballot could force a runoff if no one reaches that threshold. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran this story at all. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned Colom’s historic potential as Mississippi’s first Black senator since Reconstruction, a detail included in both left-rated full reports. The digests also did not include direct quotes from Colom or other Democratic figures, such as Sen. Angela Alsobrooks. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 43% (3) - Centre: 57% (4) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-07T22:44:14.917Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 4 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-08T03:45:18.238Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The two left-rated reports printed in full, Associated Press News and WRAL News, led on Colom’s candidacy as a potential wildcard in the race for Senate control. Both reports quoted Colom directly, with Associated Press News including his statement, “We can win here, and we’re going to.” WRAL News also quoted Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, who campaigned with Colom and said, “They cannot afford their groceries. They cannot afford the cost of gas. They cannot afford housing.” - Both reports highlighted Colom’s historic potential as Mississippi’s first Black senator since Reconstruction and the first new Democratic senator since the 1940s. They also noted the narrow margin in the 2023 governor’s race and Colom’s argument that Hyde-Smith’s alignment with Trump could mobilise voters against her. Neither report omitted the requirement for a majority to win the election or the possibility of a runoff. ### Centre - The four centre-rated digests, Connecticut Post, WSLS, Political Wire and SF Gate, all carried the Associated Press report’s framing of Mississippi as an unexpected battleground. Political Wire’s digest quoted the Associated Press directly: “The battle for control of the U.S. Senate isn’t supposed to run through Mississippi. Scott Colom is trying to convince people that it could.” - The digests from Connecticut Post, WSLS and SF Gate all noted that Mississippi does not top the list of contested Senate races but is among several states that could become wildcards. None of the centre-rated digests omitted the fact that Democrats need four seats to win the majority, or that Colom’s campaign is part of a broader effort to expand the map. However, none of the digests included Colom’s historic potential as Mississippi’s first Black senator since Reconstruction. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 3 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [SF Gate](https://sfgate.com/news/politics/article/mississippi-senate-race-highlights-shifting-map-22379430.php) — Mississippi Senate race highlights shifting map as Democrats and Republicans battle for majority - [Connecticut Post](https://ctpost.com/news/politics/article/mississippi-senate-race-highlights-shifting-map-22379430.php) — Mississippi Senate race highlights shifting map as Democrats and Republicans battle for majority - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/07/senate-control-midterms-donald-trump-mississippi/64de3fe8-929b-11f1-9fdc-0a725c989a7b_story.html) — Mississippi Senate race highlights shifting map as Democrats and Republicans battle for majority - [Wral News](https://wral.com/news/ap/785be-mississippi-senate-race-highlights-shifting-map-as-democrats-and-republicans-battle-for-majority) — Mississippi Senate race highlights shifting map as Democrats and Republicans battle for majority - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/senate-control-midterms-donald-trump-mississippi-785be60ca6684d8ca2161755019f9a2a) — Mississippi Senate race highlights shifting map as Democrats and Republicans battle for majority - [WSLS](https://wsls.com/news/politics/2026/08/07/mississippi-senate-race-highlights-shifting-map-as-democrats-and-republicans-battle-for-majority) — Mississippi Senate race highlights shifting map as Democrats and Republicans battle for majority - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/07/senate-control-may-hinge-on-unexpected-battlegrounds) — Senate Control May Hinge On Unexpected Battlegrounds ## Questions **How many Senate seats do Democrats need to win control?** Democrats must gain at least four new seats to win a majority in the U.S. Senate. If they lose any seats they currently hold, they will need to gain more than four. Mississippi is one of several states where Democrats are testing their reach beyond traditional battlegrounds. **Who is Scott Colom and why is his campaign significant?** Scott Colom is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Mississippi, running against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. His campaign is significant because he would be Mississippi’s first Black senator since Reconstruction and the state’s first new Democratic senator since the 1940s. His race is also seen as a potential wildcard in the broader battle for Senate control. **What margin decided the Mississippi governor’s race in 2023?** The Mississippi governor’s race in 2023 was decided by 3 percentage points. Scott Colom has cited this narrow margin as evidence that his Senate campaign could be competitive in a state long considered safe for Republicans. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/scott-coloms-mississippi-senate-bid-tests-democratic-senate-hopes. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Scott Colom’s Mississippi Senate bid tests Democratic Senate hopes", https://mediabias.news/politics/scott-coloms-mississippi-senate-bid-tests-democratic-senate-hopes