Mississippi Senate hopeful Scott Colom (D) is taking aim at prominent election forecasters, accusing them of unfairly dismissing his campaign against Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and, in doing so, crippling his ability to raise money in a deeply conservative state.
Colom, a Black attorney and former prosecutor, finds himself in a surprisingly tight race, trailing Hyde-Smith by fewer than 3,000 votes as ballots continue to be counted—an outcome that has stunned political observers and injected fresh uncertainty into the GOP's hold on the seat.
In a pointed social media post on Monday, Colom singled out the Cook Political Report and other unnamed handicappers for keeping his race in the “Solid Republican” column for much of the cycle, only shifting it to “Likely Republican” in October. He argued that such ratings reinforced a self-fulfilling prophecy, making it harder for Democrats to attract donors and compete in the South.
“At some point, we have to talk about @CookPolitical and other 'prognosticators' who had me and other southern candidates labeled as solid R for much of the campaign cycle,” Colom wrote on X. “They made it much more difficult to fundraise and are part of the reason the South has been neglected for so long.”
The Cook Political Report initially rated the race as safely Republican, citing President Trump's 24-point victory in Mississippi in 2024 and the state's long history of electing GOP senators—no Democrat has won a Senate seat there since 1982. Even as polling tightened in the final weeks, an October 30 analysis from Cook praised Colom's effort as “admirable” but predicted that a late influx of Republican cash would bolster Hyde-Smith.
Colom's campaign has raised $4.4 million, a substantial sum but well short of Hyde-Smith's $6.3 million, and both sides have poured additional resources into the unexpectedly competitive contest. The surge in Colom's numbers has forced national Republicans to play defense in a state they once considered a lock.
Beyond the fundraising hurdles, Colom accused forecasters of avoiding accountability when their predictions fall short. He specifically called out an unnamed Cook analyst, saying the individual was “extremely condescending” when Colom made his case for a more favorable rating. He clarified that Jessica Taylor, Cook's Senate and Governors editor, was not the one he meant.
“Like he knew something about MS politics when he's never been to the Sip,” Colom wrote, using a local nickname for the state.
Colom's frustration echoes broader complaints from Democrats who say the South is often written off by national strategists and media alike. He pointed to Louisiana Senate candidate Jamie Davis, who narrowly lost to Republican Representative Julia Letlow, as another example of a candidate whose chances were prematurely dismissed.
The Cook Political Report has not yet responded to requests for comment. Meanwhile, the race in Mississippi remains uncalled, and Colom's team has signaled it will push for a full count of every ballot, a process that could take days or weeks.
The outcome could have wider implications for the Senate map, as Democrats look to build on their unexpected gains in the midterms. For now, Colom's criticism of the rating industry has struck a chord with progressives who argue that such forecasts are not merely passive observations but active barriers to change.
