How a Viral Ad Turned Mississippi's Senate Race Into a Surprise

A 28-second video helped turn a long-shot Senate race in Mississippi into one of the most surprising contests of the 2026 elections. Democrat Scott Colom was not expected to come close to winning in a state where Republicans have dominated for years. But after his campaign released a funny and sharp ad about grocery prices, Colom's race against Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith became too close to call. The outcome may not be known for several days while officials finish counting votes.

Tuesday's elections were a big night for Democrats across the country. They won control of both the House and Senate, as many voters showed they were frustrated with President Donald Trump and his party. Democrats flipped states that had voted Republican for a long time, with many voters upset about high prices and the ongoing Iran war.

Mississippi was one of the biggest surprises of the night. Trump had won the state by about 23 points in 2024, so most people expected Republicans to win easily there too. Instead, the Senate race between Hyde-Smith and Colom ended up being one of the closest in the country.

Colom's performance was historic no matter the final result. Mississippi has not sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982. If Colom wins, he would also become the first Black U.S. Senator elected from Mississippi since the period after the Civil War known as Reconstruction.

So what changed the race? Many people point to a short video that went viral online. The ad showed everyday people reacting to something Senator Hyde-Smith had said earlier in the year. When voters complained about high beef prices, Hyde-Smith suggested they 'choose another protein,' which struck many people as tone-deaf and out of touch.

Colom's ad played a clip of Hyde-Smith's comment and then showed regular people responding with shock and humor. One man at a grill said he would rather 'pick another senator instead.' A woman in a diner said Hyde-Smith had 'lost her damn mind.' The ad ended with Colom laughing at a dinner table and telling voters to 'pick another senator instead.'

The video spread quickly on social media. Within 36 hours, it had 2.8 million views. By Friday, it had more than 15 million views on Colom's account on the platform X, along with nearly 100,000 likes. The phrase 'pick another senator' became Colom's campaign slogan.

Experts said the ad worked because it connected with what voters across the political spectrum were worried about. Alex Coppock, a political science professor at Northwestern University, said the video was funny and used 'memorable alliteration and wordplay.' He said it likely reached far more people than a typical campaign ad because it was so entertaining.

Brian Shoup, a professor at Mississippi State University, said the ad highlighted the cost-of-living issue in a way that reached beyond just Democratic voters. He also said going viral helped Colom raise more money. Before the ad, Democratic groups were not investing much in Mississippi, but after it spread, a major group called the Senate Majority PAC put $1.2 million into the race and later added another $1 million.

Not everyone thinks one ad can decide an election. Travis Ridout, a professor at Washington State University who studies political advertising, said the video was catchy and helped people remember Colom's name and message. But he warned that many things decide election results, and giving all the credit to one video goes too far. Still, in a state like Mississippi, the fact that the race was this close at all was remarkable.