{
  "id": 262820,
  "title": "Will Mississippi send a Black Democrat to the US Senate? Scott Colom says don’t count him out",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/will-mississippi-send-a-black-democrat-to-the-us-senate-scott-colom",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-07T11:53:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-senate-colom-hyde-smith-trump-b4464afce3e9fa0cf5ff3842240e77f3"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scott Colom, a Black Democrat U.S. Senate candidate from Mississippi, is challenging the status quo in a state historically dominated by white conservative Republicans. Born and raised in Mississippi, Colom has a Republican father who supported Ronald Reagan and was friends with political heavyweight Thad Cochran. Despite this background, Colom identifies as a Democrat and a Black man, placing him in an underdog position against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, a staunch ally of Donald Trump.\n\nColom's unique profile and the broader context of Mississippi's demographics, ongoing inflation, and Hyde-Smith's relatively low public profile create an intriguing and unpredictable political landscape. With just a few days before the campaign kickoff, Colom has been campaigning tirelessly, emphasizing his ability to flip the traditional script and portray Hyde-Smith as a puppet of the Republican Party. He has criticized Hyde-Smith for allegedly abandoning the concerns of Mississippi voters, particularly in regard to Trump's tariffs, the Iran war, and the Republican-controlled Congress' perceived betrayal of their constituents.\n\nWhile Hyde-Smith's campaign has declined to comment, her manager has dismissed Colom as a \"stooge\" of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and billionaire George Soros, both of whom have made donations to Colom's prior district attorney campaigns.",
  "summary": "JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Scott Colom is a gregarious prosecutor who grew up in Mississippi with a Republican father who campaigned for Ronald Reagan and counted…",
  "key_points": [
    "Scott Colom, Black Democrat, challenges Mississippi's political status quo",
    "Born and raised in Mississippi, Colom's Republican father contrasts his current stance",
    "Colom's campaign highlights Hyde-Smith's alleged betrayal of voters' concerns"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/262820.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "Mississippi Senate race highlights shifting map as Democrats and Republicans battle for majority",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/mississippi-senate-race-highlights-shifting-map-as-democrats-and",
        "published": "2026-08-07T20:23:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}