Mississippi Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom is pointing fingers at election forecasters such as the Cook Political Report, saying they “made it much more difficult” for Southern Democrats to fundraise this election cycle.
“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. They made it much more difficult to fundraise and are part of the reason the South has been neglected for so long,” Colom wrote in a statement on X.
Colom, whose race was listed as a “likely Republican” race by the Cook Political Report, currently leads incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) by a 2,574-vote margin, garnering 49.1% of the vote to Hyde-Smith’s 48.8%, according to the Associated Press. The race has yet to be called, and Colom is frustrated that forecasters had largely counted him and other Southern Democrats out of the race.
Colom called the election forecasters “only a reflection of the past” and argued they “mysteriously avoid any accountability when they’re wrong.”
“One of their ‘analysts’ was extremely condescending to me (not Jessica) when I tried to make my pitch for why they were wrong about my rating like he knew something about MS politics when he’s never been to the Sip,” Colom wrote, clarifying he was not referring to the Cook Political Report’s Jessica Taylor. “This attitude hurt Jaime Davis & others so much.”
Colom referred to Democratic Senate candidate Jamie Davis, who took on Republican Julia Letlow in Louisiana. Davis lost by 25,855 votes, garnering 49.1% of the vote compared to Letlow’s 50.9%, according to the Associated Press. The Cook Political Report had rated the race as a “solid Republican” race throughout the season.
Mississippi’s Senate race had been one of about a dozen of the forecaster’s “solid Republican” Senate races until it was moved to “likely Republican” in late October.
When the outlet moved the Senate race over, Taylor wrote that “Hyde-Smith still has the decisive advantage here, and a Democratic upset in Mississippi would signal a blue tsunami.”
“We’ve seen some closer-than-expected polling — though with Hyde-Smith still ahead outside the margin of error — but some Republicans worry she will again underperform the partisan baseline,” Taylor continued. “Colom is also optimistic that the 37% of the eligible electorate that is African American will be particularly energized to vote against the GOP incumbent — and for a Black Democrat — in the wake of the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act.”
MISSISSIPPI DEMOCRAT’S LEAD CONTINUES TO WIDEN AS RACE REMAINS UNCALLED
Mississippi is one of two Senate races that have yet to be called, alongside Alaska. Democrats have at least 54 seats in the Senate when the new Congress is sworn in, while Republicans have 44.
State law does not allow automatic or candidate-requested recounts.