Former President Barack Obama is lending his voice to a new television advertisement for Scott Colom, the Democratic district attorney running to unseat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi. The spot, released this week, comes as voters express mounting frustration with the GOP’s stewardship of the economy and other top issues.
In the ad, Obama speaks directly to Mississippi voters: “Mississippi, it’s time for a change. That’s why you need to send Scott Colom to the U.S. Senate.” He describes Colom as “a devoted husband and dad, a seventh-generation Mississippian, guided by his Christian faith.”
Obama also highlights Colom’s tenure as district attorney for Mississippi’s 16th Judicial District, where he “made his community safer, prosecuting violent crimes” and “fighting corruption in Columbus.” According to Obama, Colom is now running to “raise wages, lower costs, and save your health care and hospitals,” adding, “Mississippi, your vote matters. Let’s get this done.”
Colom’s bid faces long odds in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982, according to 270ToWin. Hyde-Smith, who is seeking her second full term, is heavily favored. Decision Desk HQ, a partner of The Hill, gives her a 93 percent chance of holding the seat, while forecasting a 56 percent chance that Democrats regain control of the Senate overall.
Still, Republicans are navigating a rocky midterm landscape. The war with Iran has driven up energy and fertilizer prices, hitting Mississippi particularly hard. As of Monday afternoon, the average price of regular gas in the state stood at $3.93 per gallon, up $1.27 from a year ago, according to AAA. Diesel costs $5.87 per gallon, an increase of $2.62 over the same period.
Colom’s résumé includes two nominations by former President Biden to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Mississippi. Hyde-Smith and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) blocked his confirmation through the Senate’s “blue slip” tradition, which allows home-state senators to veto judicial nominees.
Obama’s involvement signals that national Democrats see at least a narrow opening in Mississippi, even as they invest heavily in more competitive states. The former president has also been active elsewhere, recently campaigning for Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s Senate race, and he remains a sought-after surrogate for down-ballot candidates.
Meanwhile, President Trump is crisscrossing red and purple states—including Texas, Oklahoma, and Ohio—in a bid to preserve Republican majorities in both chambers. The midterm environment has also been shaped by other policy battles, such as the administration’s rollback of fuel economy standards, which could further animate voters on energy and climate issues.
For now, the Mississippi Senate contest remains a steep climb for Democrats. But Obama’s ad injects a jolt of national attention into a race that Hyde-Smith would prefer to keep under the radar, and it tests whether economic pain—especially at the pump—can loosen the GOP’s grip on a deep-red state.
