Democrat in Striking Distance of Flipping State Trump Won by 23 Points—Poll

Mississippi Senate race results from a recent poll conducted by Data for Progress indicate that Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is leading Democrat Scott Colom by a 6-point margin, with 44% of voters supporting Hyde-Smith and 38% backing Colom. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins received 7% of the votes. Hyde-Smith's unfavorable rating stands at 40%, while Colom enjoys a 28% favorable rating, but both candidates are less known to voters compared to President Donald Trump, who maintains a narrow 51% favorable rating in Mississippi.

Despite Mississippi typically being a Republican stronghold, Democrats have begun to view the race as potentially competitive. Party leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have thrown their support behind Colom, hoping to capitalize on the state's large Black population and potential surge in Black voter turnout in the South. The poll also revealed that Hyde-Smith's favorability rating is low, with 50% of respondents viewing her unfavorably.

Colom's campaign manager, Jake Monssen, dismissed the poll as partisan, stating that with their resources and organization, "voters will hear the truth" about Colom. He insisted that Hyde-Smith's internal numbers were strong, and they would not relent until the election on November 3. The poll's large sample size of 1,018 likely voters, conducted from August 5 to August 15, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Despite the unfavorable ratings, some Democrats see potential in the race due to Trump's waning popularity and possible Black voter turnout increases.