Colom raised most last quarter; Hyde-Smith has biggest cash reserve before March primary
Scott Colom, a Democratic district attorney seeking his party’s U.S. Senate nomination, raised more campaign money than any Mississippi federal candidate in the fourth quarter, campaign finance reports show. Colom reported $420,327 raised and $698,749 in cash on hand, the filings show.
But incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith held a far larger war chest. Hyde-Smith reported $357,995 raised in the fourth quarter and $2,493,547 in cash on hand, according to campaign finance reports.
Colom, who serves as district attorney for Noxubee, Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties, said in a statement to Mississippi Today that his campaign is building “the strongest grassroots campaign Mississippi has ever seen” and that “this is just the beginning.” He added, “People in all 82 counties are joining our movement because they’re tired of having a senator who doesn’t show up and doesn’t fight for us,” the news outlet reported.
Hyde-Smith benefits from incumbency, an existing campaign infrastructure and the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, and national Democrats have said they view her as vulnerable and are prepared to invest in the race, party officials and strategists have indicated. Nathan Calvert, communications director for the Hyde-Smith campaign, said the senator “enjoys broad support across the state and continues to break previous fundraising records,” and cited a recent six-figure event at Mar-a-Lago and plans for a large spring event in Jackson with Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, the campaign said.
Both Colom and Hyde-Smith are competing in party primaries on March 10, according to campaign filings. Other reported figures from the filings include independent Ty Pinkins, who raised $9,061 in the fourth quarter and had $2,979 in cash on hand; Democrats Albert R. Littell and Priscilla W. Till remain on the Democratic primary ballot with limited or no fourth-quarter reporting, campaign reports show.
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