Democrats pour $1.2M into Mississippi as Trump rallies in Corinth

Senate Democrats have invested $1.2 million in the Mississippi race, a late push to unseat Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. The funding arrives with one week left before Election Day, as the contest tightens in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1947.

President Donald Trump traveled to Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday to support Hyde-Smith. He told the crowd he was there to ensure her victory, noting that he could not take a chance. Hyde-Smith seeks a second full term in a district Trump won three times with an average margin of nearly 20 percentage points. Despite that history, her opponent, Scott Colom, has mounted a competitive challenge.

Colom is a local prosecutor and would become Mississippi’s first Black senator since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. He was present at the rally site where Trump spoke. The two men interacted directly before Trump described Colom from the stage as a Marxist radical and a shameless phony. Colom said he intended to listen to voters, arguing that they deserve a senator who cares about their daily struggles.

The spending reflects a wider shift in midterm battlegrounds. Democratic challengers have expanded their maps due to voter discontent over inflation and the Iran war. More than 30 million voters have already cast ballots, according to data from election administrators. In Wisconsin, former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who would be the state’s first Black governor if he defeats Rep. Tom Tiffany.

In Michigan, Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed distanced himself from an ad by a political action committee that blamed high grocery prices on U.S. support for Israel. A spokesperson for El-Sayed, Roxie Richner, stated the spot was not affiliated with his campaign. Rep. Haley Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the primary, criticized the ad for blaming the high costs of goods on Israel.

Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Kansas and Montana to support Republican candidates. In north Topeka, he rallied for Senator Roger Marshall, who is in a tight race with Pastor Adam Hamilton. Marshall told supporters that Democrats are acting as if it is a presidential year. Jace Sullivan, a 50-year-old electrician from Topeka, said gas prices are high but that the effort to keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons is a means to an end.

Senator Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told the Associated Press that GOP candidates are closing strongly across the country. He credited Trump’s time on the campaign trail for the party’s momentum. Trump plans to visit Texas, South Carolina, and Iowa this week, with a second stop in Kansas scheduled for Saturday.