U.S. Senate, Mississippi · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the Mississippi U.S. Senate race?
Scott Colom has the strongest record in the Mississippi U.S. Senate race. Scott Colom scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Cindy Hyde-Smith at 56 and Ty Pinkins at 55, as of October 6, 2026. Scott Colom's highest marks are accountability and relevant experience. Cindy Hyde-Smith's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Strongest record
Scott Colom
65 / 100
Public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 75
Republican · incumbent
Cindy Hyde-Smith
56 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 44
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 42
Independent
Ty Pinkins
55 / 100
Public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Scott Colom
- On the record2026-09
Moved in September 2026 to dismiss the murder indictment against Tameshia Shelton after an appeals court threw out her conviction from his predecessor's office; the judge had not ruled.
- On the record2022-11 to 2025-01
President Biden nominated him to the federal district court in 2022; the nomination stalled when Sen. Hyde-Smith withheld her blue slip, despite support from Republican Sen. Wicker and former Govs. Bryant and Barbour.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Scott Colom, Mississippi Today, Dec. 5, 2023
- On the record2021
As district attorney signed a 2021 letter condemning the criminalization of gender-affirming care; he says he has never supported such surgeries for minors.
- Credit2026-08
Held five open town halls in five cities over five days in late August 2026 and accepted two TV debate invitations.
Sources: Mississippi Today, Sept. 17, 2026, WLOX/WLBT, Sept. 30, 2026
- Credit2015 to 2023
Won the 16th District district attorney race in 2015 over the long-serving incumbent, becoming its first Black prosecutor, and won reelection in 2019 and 2023.
Source: Mississippi Today, Dec. 5, 2023
Cindy Hyde-Smith
- On the record2026-08
Told the White House of her concerns about President Trump's plan to admit more lower-tariff imported beef, a dissent Mississippi Today described as rare and mild.
Source: Mississippi Today, Aug. 26, 2026
- On the record2023 to 2025
Withheld her blue slip on Scott Colom's nomination to the federal bench, which stalled it; she cited progressive groups that backed his first DA race.
Source: Mississippi Today, Dec. 5, 2023
- On the record2021-01-06 to 2021-01-07
Voted Yea on the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021; the Senate rejected both.
Sources: GovTrack, Senate Vote 1, Jan. 6, 2021, Ballotpedia, Cindy Hyde-Smith
- On the record2018-11
In November 2018 video showed her saying of a supporter that if he invited her to a public hanging she would be on the front row; she later apologized in a debate.
Sources: Mississippi Today, Nov. 13, 2018, Clarion Ledger via USA Today, Sept. 13, 2026
- On the record2018 to 2026
Has debated a general election opponent once, in the 2018 runoff; in 2026 her campaign dismissed Colom's debate challenge, and Mississippi Today reports she rarely holds open town halls or interviews.
Sources: Mississippi Today, Sept. 17, 2026, WLOX/WLBT, Sept. 30, 2026, Mississippi Today, Sept. 29, 2026
- Credit2025-07 to 2026-02
As chair of the Transportation and Housing appropriations subcommittee, sponsored the fiscal 2026 THUD spending bill, whose provisions were enacted Feb. 3, 2026.
Sources: GovTrack, S. 2465 (119th Congress), Magnolia Tribune, July 22, 2026
- Credit2018
Became the first woman to represent Mississippi in Congress when Gov. Phil Bryant appointed her to succeed Thad Cochran in 2018.
Sources: Mississippi Today, March 21, 2018, Ballotpedia, Cindy Hyde-Smith
Ty Pinkins
- On the record2025-07
Left the Democratic Party in July 2025 to run as an independent, writing that state party leaders acted as gatekeepers who tried to block him.
Sources: Mississippi Today, July 1, 2025, Magnolia Tribune, June 15, 2026
- Credit2020 to 2026
After the Army earned law degrees at Georgetown and has worked about six years as a public interest lawyer in underserved communities.
Sources: Magnolia Tribune, June 15, 2026, Ballotpedia, Ty Pinkins
- Credit1996 to 2017
Served 21 years in the U.S. Army, including three combat tours, and earned the Bronze Star for his first combat tour.
Sources: Magnolia Tribune, June 15, 2026, Ballotpedia, Ty Pinkins
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Scott Colom. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC from Aug. 21, 2025 through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, coverage dates, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00918359
Cindy Hyde-Smith. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found. Senate financial disclosures and periodic transaction reports could not be opened.
Sources: FEC candidate page, coverage dates, FEC administrative fines search, Cindy Hyde-Smith for US Senate
Ty Pinkins. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, coverage dates, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00830554
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Scott Colom. No public record found.
Cindy Hyde-Smith. In August 2026 told the White House of her concerns about President Trump's plan to admit more lower-tariff imported beef, which Mississippi Today called a rare dissent from one of his staunchest allies.
Source: Mississippi Today, Aug. 26, 2026
Ty Pinkins. Left the Democratic Party in July 2025 after publicly accusing state party leaders of gatekeeping and saying he was urged to make room for Colom; running as an independent.
Sources: Mississippi Today, July 1, 2025, Magnolia Tribune, June 15, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Scott Colom. Accepted invitations from two TV stations to debate in 2026 and held five public town halls across the state over five days in late August 2026.
Sources: Mississippi Today, Sept. 29, 2026, Mississippi Today, Sept. 17, 2026, WLOX/WLBT, Sept. 30, 2026
Cindy Hyde-Smith. No public record found.
Ty Pinkins. Spoke at the Neshoba County Fair political forum on June 24, 2026, and has challenged both party nominees to debate.
Sources: Mississippi Today, June 24, 2026, Mississippi Today, Aug. 28, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Scott Colom. District attorney for the 16th Judicial District since 2016, after serving as a municipal judge and a city prosecutor. No formal conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Scott Colom
Cindy Hyde-Smith. State senator from 2000 to 2012, agriculture commissioner from 2012 to 2018 and U.S. senator since April 2018. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Cindy Hyde-Smith
Ty Pinkins. Served 21 years in the Army, including three combat tours, then worked as a public interest lawyer. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Magnolia Tribune, June 15, 2026, Ballotpedia, Ty Pinkins
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Scott Colom. Has held sworn office as an elected district attorney since 2016 and earlier as a municipal judge. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Scott Colom, Mississippi Today, Dec. 5, 2023
Cindy Hyde-Smith. Voted Yea on the Jan. 6, 2021 objection to Arizona's electors and the Jan. 7, 2021 objection to Pennsylvania's electors. Both failed.
Sources: GovTrack, Senate Vote 1, Jan. 6, 2021, GovTrack, Senate Vote 2, Jan. 7, 2021, Ballotpedia, Cindy Hyde-Smith
Ty Pinkins. Served in the U.S. Army from 1996 to 2017. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Ty Pinkins
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Scott Colom. Elected district attorney for Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties in 2015 and reelected in 2019 and 2023; earlier a municipal judge and city prosecutor. Has not held legislative office.
Sources: Mississippi Today, Dec. 5, 2023, Ballotpedia, Scott Colom
Cindy Hyde-Smith. U.S. senator since April 9, 2018, elected to a full term in 2020 and seeking a second. Earlier 12 years in the state Senate and two terms as agriculture commissioner.
Source: Ballotpedia, Cindy Hyde-Smith
Ty Pinkins. Twenty-one years of Army service and about six years as a public interest lawyer, with Georgetown law degrees. Has not held public office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Ty Pinkins, Magnolia Tribune, June 15, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Scott Colom. Has proposed specific measures, including a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and their families with a Senate ethics office, and a conditional temporary ban on new data centers in Mississippi.
Sources: Mississippi Today, July 14, 2026, Mississippi Today, Sept. 24, 2026
Cindy Hyde-Smith. Chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and an Agriculture Committee subcommittee; joined the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in July 2026.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Magnolia Tribune, July 22, 2026
Ty Pinkins. Publishes issue positions in general terms on rural health care, economic opportunity, veterans and getting big money out of politics.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Ty Pinkins, 2026 survey, Mississippi Today, June 24, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Scott Colom. Held five town halls, accepted two TV debates and publishes an anti-corruption plan and biography on his campaign site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Mississippi Today, Sept. 17, 2026, Campaign site, home page, Ballotpedia, Scott Colom
Cindy Hyde-Smith. Answered the Starkville Daily News 2026 candidate questionnaire, returned after its deadline, and publishes issue pages on her campaign site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Starkville Daily News, Sept. 19, 2026, Campaign site, Issues, Ballotpedia, Cindy Hyde-Smith
Ty Pinkins. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey, publishes issue pages on his campaign site and spoke at the Neshoba County Fair.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Ty Pinkins, Campaign site, Issues, Mississippi Today, June 24, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Scott Colom. Born and raised in Columbus, where he is district attorney. About 32 percent of itemized individual contributions by state through June 30, 2026 came from Mississippi (FEC).
Sources: Mississippi Today, Dec. 5, 2023, FEC contribution totals by state
Cindy Hyde-Smith. From a Brookhaven farming family she describes as five generations deep, and represented the area in the state Senate for 12 years. About 45 percent of itemized individual contributions by state for 2025 to 2026 came from Mississippi (FEC).
Sources: Starkville Daily News, Sept. 19, 2026, Mississippi Today, Dec. 5, 2023, FEC contribution totals by state
Ty Pinkins. Born and raised in Rolling Fork in the Delta, where he lives. About 36 percent of itemized individual contributions through June 30, 2026 came from Mississippi (FEC).
Sources: Ballotpedia, Ty Pinkins, Mississippi Today, July 1, 2025, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Scott Colom. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with $61,083 in debts reported and no administrative fine found. Has run the district attorney's office since 2016; its size was not found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00918359
Cindy Hyde-Smith. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with $60,000 in debts reported and no administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, Cindy Hyde-Smith for US Senate
Ty Pinkins. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no debts and no administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00830554
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Scott Colom. No public record found.
Cindy Hyde-Smith. Center for Effective Lawmaking rates her below expectations in the 118th Congress (LES 2.0 of 0.116 against a benchmark of 0.852). Raised to 2 under E14: provisions of her fiscal 2026 transportation and housing appropriations bill were enacted Feb. 3, 2026.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking Senate dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress (Hyde-Smith MS row, 118th), GovTrack, S. 2465 (119th Congress), GovTrack, enacted legislation
Ty Pinkins. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Scott Colom. No public record found.
Cindy Hyde-Smith. Missed 99 of 3,474 roll call votes, 2.8 percent, from April 2018 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Ty Pinkins. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Scott Colom. No public record found.
Cindy Hyde-Smith. No public record found.
Ty Pinkins. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Scott Colom. His 2022 federal judicial nomination by a Democratic president drew support from Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, who returned his blue slip, and former Republican Govs. Phil Bryant and Haley Barbour.
Source: Mississippi Today, Dec. 5, 2023
Cindy Hyde-Smith. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.92129 for 2023, the latest posted Senate scores, ranked 83 of 98 senators scored, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, 2023 Senate scores
Ty Pinkins. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Scott Colom. No public record found.
Cindy Hyde-Smith. No public record found.
Ty Pinkins. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Mississippi U.S. Senate race?
Scott Colom has the strongest record in the Mississippi U.S. Senate race. Scott Colom scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Cindy Hyde-Smith at 56 and Ty Pinkins at 55, as of October 6, 2026. Scott Colom's highest marks are accountability and relevant experience. Cindy Hyde-Smith's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Mississippi U.S. Senate race in 2026?
Scott Colom (Democratic), Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican, incumbent), Ty Pinkins (Independent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Scott Colom a good candidate for U.S. Senate?
Scott Colom scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Cindy Hyde-Smith a good candidate for U.S. Senate?
Cindy Hyde-Smith scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 44 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 42 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Ty Pinkins a good candidate for U.S. Senate?
Ty Pinkins scores 55 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Mississippi race scored, and the Mississippi 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.