A competitive and closely watched U.S. Senate race in Mississippi has entered its final stretch marked by a heavy volume of television attack advertising, outside spending, and high-profile campaign visits. Republican incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith finds herself facing an unexpected challenge from her Democratic opponent, Scott Colom, with airwaves dominated by critical spots funded by outside groups.
Data from AdImpact indicates that Senator Hyde-Smith has faced a significant disadvantage on television in the closing weeks of the campaign. Out of the eight most-aired spots in the state, only one portrays the incumbent in a positive light. Five of the ads either promote Colom or criticize Hyde-Smith’s legislative record, characterizing her as out of touch and overly aligned with wealthy donors. The remaining two spots focus on down-ballot races.
Among the most prominent outside expenditures is an ad from the left-leaning New Deal for All super PAC. Featuring Jena-Lisa Jones, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein, the spot targets Hyde-Smith for voting against an amendment that sought to mandate the full release of files concerning the convicted human trafficker. Jones condemns the vote in the commercial and urges voters to reject Hyde-Smith to safeguard children. According to AdImpact tracking, the spot has aired more than 1,200 times over the span of a week, with expenditures exceeding $329,000.
The legislative vote in question took place last year and passed by a 51-49 margin, resulting in the indefinite postponement of an amendment that would have required then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all Epstein-related files in full.
Responding to the criticism, Senator Hyde-Smith issued a statement defending her legislative position. “I do want transparency, and I support releasing information that can legally be released while protecting Epstein’s victims. But a procedural vote on one amendment is not the same thing as saying the Epstein files should remain secret,” she stated.
In response, the Hyde-Smith campaign launched its own counter-offensive targeting Colom. Labeling her opponent the “transgender defender” and describing him as the “most radical Senate candidate of our lifetime,” the campaign’s commercial ran heavily across television markets in Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee. Debuting on Sept. 10, the spot aired more than 2,800 times over a 30-day period at a cost of over $854,000, per AdImpact data. However, campaign finance tracking indicates that the incumbent’s camp has since scaled back the rotation, spending less than $150,000 to air the ad between Oct. 19 and Oct. 26.
Despite the intense advertising blitz and the unexpected tightness of the contest, political analysts still anticipate a victory for the incumbent Republican. The race’s tighter-than-expected margins have nevertheless drawn national attention and high-level engagement. During a campaign rally in Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday, former President Donald Trump underscored the state’s unexpected competitiveness while appearing on behalf of the senator. “I’m here because Cindy is doing great, but I’ve just got to make sure,” Trump told supporters.
