Mississippi Senate Voter Guide: Hyde-Smith, Colom and Pinkins on Health Care and Taxes
Three candidates are on the ballot for U.S. Senate in Mississippi on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is seeking a second full term, Democrat Scott Colom, the district attorney in Columbus, and independent Ty Pinkins, an Army veteran and lawyer.
The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares the three candidates on health care and taxes. Here is where each one stands, based on the video, the candidates' own campaign websites and Mississippi reporting.
Hyde-Smith won the Republican primary on March 10 with 80.8% of the vote, and Colom won the Democratic primary with 73%. Pinkins, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 2024, left the Democratic Party in 2025 and is running as an independent. No other candidates are listed for the race on Ballotpedia.
Why Health Care and Taxes Are Issues
Congress let the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits expire at the end of 2025, and the 2025 federal tax and spending law, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, changed Medicaid funding rules. Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney has said the loss of the federal support caused about 200,000 Mississippians to lose health insurance, WLOX reported. Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid.
The same 2025 law extended the 2017 tax cuts and created new deductions for tips and overtime.
Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican, Incumbent)
Hyde-Smith, 67, of Brookhaven, was appointed to the Senate in 2018 and won a special election that year and a full term in 2020. She served as Mississippi's commissioner of agriculture and commerce from 2012 to 2018 and in the state Senate from 2000 to 2012. She sits on the Senate Appropriations and Agriculture committees. President Donald Trump endorsed her in March 2025.
On health care, the video says Hyde-Smith believes Obamacare should be repealed and replaced with a patient-centered plan that does not expand government. Her campaign website says she "believes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, should be repealed and replaced with a common-sense, patient-centered healthcare plan to help Mississippi families afford health insurance coverage without expanding the government's role in providing health care." She voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025.
On taxes, the video says Hyde-Smith supports reducing the federal tax burden on small businesses, families and individuals. Her Senate website says she "supports policies that responsibly reduce the federal tax burden on small businesses, families, and individuals" and "strongly believes workers should be able to keep more of their hard-earned money." Her campaign website says the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is "helping unleash a wave of prosperity across America" and that she "will always fight to make sure families and businesses keep more of their hard-earned money." She has also introduced a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Scott Colom (Democrat)
Colom, 43, of Columbus, has been district attorney for Mississippi's 16th Circuit Court District since 2016. In 2011 he became the youngest and first Black justice court judge in Lowndes County, according to his office. He describes himself as a seventh-generation Mississippian.
On health care, the video says Colom would cancel the Medicaid cuts and restore the Affordable Care Act tax credits. His campaign website says he will "vote to cancel the Medicaid cuts to help keep rural Mississippi's emergency rooms and delivery rooms open," "restore the ACA tax credits that lower insurance premiums" and restore federal funding to encourage Mississippi to expand Medicaid. "First thing I'm going to do, day one, I'm going to fight to restore the Medicaid cuts, restore subsidy for people getting health insurance," Colom told WLOX. "In the long term, we've got to find some public option."
On taxes, the video says Colom would work to end the federal income tax for Mississippians making under $75,000. His campaign website says he will "work to end the federal income tax for Mississippians making under $75,000, starting with teachers and law enforcement officers," and will fight to raise the federal minimum wage and tie it to the cost of living. He has also called tariffs "a sales tax" and says Congress should take back its power over them.
Ty Pinkins (Independent)
Pinkins, of Vicksburg, grew up on cotton farms in Rolling Fork in the Mississippi Delta. He served 21 years on active duty in the Army, including three combat tours in Iraq, and received the Bronze Star. He earned his law degree at Georgetown and co-founded The Pyramid Project, a youth nonprofit. He was the Democratic nominee for Mississippi secretary of state in 2023 and for U.S. Senate in 2024.
On health care, the video says Pinkins calls health care a human right and supports the Medicare for All Act. His campaign website says: "I believe healthcare is a fundamental human right—not a privilege based on your job, your ZIP code, or your luck. That's why I support the Medicare for All Act." He says the problem with passing it "is politics," which he says is why he is running as an independent.
On taxes, the video says Pinkins has no published tax position on his campaign issues pages. His campaign website's housing page says he will "work to cut taxes for middle-class families" and push for more federal funding for affordable housing, and his environment page says he will "put a stop to massive tax giveaways" to oil companies. His campaign website does not list a separate tax plan.
Where to Follow the Candidates
Cindy Hyde-Smith: @cindyhydesmith on X. Scott Colom: @scott_colom on X and Instagram and @scott.colom on TikTok. Ty Pinkins: @TyPinkins on X and @typinkins on Instagram.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Ballotpedia, United States Senate election in Mississippi, 2026: https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Mississippi,_2026 ; Cindy Hyde-Smith campaign, Health Care: https://cindyhydesmith.com/issue/health-care/ ; Cindy Hyde-Smith campaign, Lower Taxes: https://cindyhydesmith.com/issue/lower-taxes/ ; Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Budget: https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/budget ; Scott Colom campaign, Where Scott Stands: https://scottcolom.com/priorities/ ; WLOX, "Democratic senate candidate Scott Colom talks tariffs, affordability, healthcare" (Oct. 19, 2026): https://www.wlox.com/2026/10/19/democratic-senate-candidate-scott-colom-talks-tariffs-affordability-healthcare/ ; Office of the District Attorney, 16th Circuit Court District, Scott Colom: https://www.msda16.org/scott-colom ; Ty Pinkins campaign, Healthcare: https://www.typinkins.com/issues-1/healthcare ; Ty Pinkins campaign, Housing: https://www.typinkins.com/issues-1/housing ; Ty Pinkins campaign, Environment: https://www.typinkins.com/issues-1/environment ; Ty Pinkins campaign, About Ty: https://www.typinkins.com/meet-ty-pinkins ; Wikipedia, 2026 United States Senate election in Mississippi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_Mississippi
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