Poll pushed by Colom claiming Senate race with Hyde-Smith is “tied” was fake, fabricated

Poll pushed by Colom claiming Senate.

Key points

• Auditor launches Non-Profit Spending website showing Mississippi has paid non-profits over $4.2 billion since 2020.
• As previously documented, Mississippi saw a similar playbook as Colom is using in the lead up to Election Day from a Democrat challenger to Senator Hyde-Smith.
• Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith's re-election campaign has outraised all other federal candidates in Mississippi this election cycle, bringing in over $6 million.
• $35.5 million grant awarded to modernize 121-year-old Escatawpa River swing bridge.
• Colom gets $1.2 million in ad support from national Democrats in lead up to Election Day.

Poll pushed by Colom claiming Senate race with Hyde-Smith is "tied" was fake, fabricated. By: Frank Corder – October 20, 2026. Scott Colom (Photo from Colom's Facebook page).

"The ease with which unverified figures were absorbed into mainstream political narratives highlights a systemic breakdown in media vetting and data aggregation, " Wedgewood Polls remarked Tuesday.

Last week, Democrat Scott Colom's campaign for U.S. Senate in Mississippi pushed a poll produced by Wedgewood Polls, saying the race with incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is "tied."

Magnolia Tribune documented on the survey from Wedgewood Polls, saying at the time, "Some media outlets are biting on the results, " sharing headlines like the one from Newsweek that maintained, "Democrat Threatens Historic Senate Upset in Deep-Red Mississippi."

Colom's campaign applied the poll, coupled with other friendly polling, to raise the prospect that the Democrat could upset the Republican come November 3.

According to Magnolia Tribune additionally, wedgewood's first published poll in June for the Louisiana U.S. Senate Republican Primary was widely off the mark, almost a 13-point swing from its days-old poll when the results were tallied.

On Tuesday, Wedgewood Polls admitted its polling was fabricated in a stunt "to demonstrate the vulnerabilities, lack of oversight, and overall low barrier to entry in the modern political polling industry."

"Having previously worked in the polling and research sector, we watched as the public's trust in polling eroded alongside a rise in unverified, low-quality methodology, " the group posted on X. "We wanted to test a simple hypothesis: How straightforward is it for an entirely fabricated polling firm to gain traction, be taken seriously, and expose how little scrutinization exists in media and public commentary? The short answer: Far too straightforward."

For context, the statement from Wedgewood continued that despite having no history, formal credentials, or real data behind the vast majority of our releases, Wedgewood Polling was went on to major polling aggregators, including The New York Times, FiftyPlusOne, and VoteHub, and repeatedly treated as a legitimate data source.

"Our fabricated numbers were given instant credibility across national media platforms-including being cited on air and in reporting by outlets such as MS NOW, " the group wrote. "The ease with which unverified figures were absorbed into mainstream political narratives highlights a systemic breakdown in media vetting and data aggregation."

Wedgewood remarked their "experimental project" was never intended to sway an election or permanently mislead the public; "it was designed as a wake-up call."

"If a fictional entity run by a small group of industry veterans can be integrated into major polling averages and cited by major news organizations, the standards for how polling data is vetted, aggregated, and reported must change, " the group continued.

Colom's Senate campaign in Mississippi heavily pushed the poll, using the headline in their press release, "NEW INDEPENDENT POLL: Mississippi Senate Race Tied As Race Shifts In Scott Colom's Favor."

"In case you missed it, a new, independent poll has Mississippi's U.S. Senate race in a dead heat, with Cindy Hyde-Smith leading Scott Colom by just 4-points, within the poll's 4.3-point margin of error, " Colom's campaign shared, citing the Newsweek article on the Wedgewood poll and noting, "The Wedgewood Polls survey discovered Hyde-Smith leading Colom 52 percent to 48 percent, a gap inside its 4.3-point margin of error. The poll of 511 probable voters was conducted from October 12 to 14."

Colom campaign Manager Gerard Henderson applied the friendly polling, now known to be faked, to say, "In a state Donald Trump won, an incumbent Republican senator should be cruising. Instead, Cindy Hyde-Smith is scared she's regarding to lose."

As previously documented, Mississippi saw a similar playbook as Colom is using in the lead up to Election Day from a Democrat challenger to Senator Hyde-Smith. Like Colom's campaign, media outlets ran with polling results in 2020 in her race with Mike Espy just ahead of Election Day showing the Democrat was within 1% of the Republican incumbent. Espy then lost by 10%. Regarding the Author(s).

Frank Corder is a native of Pascagoula. For almost two decades, he has noted and offered analysis on administration, public policy, business and matters of faith. Frank's interviews, articles, and columns have been shared throughout Mississippi as well as in national publications. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, providing insight and commentary on the inner workings of the Magnolia State. Frank has served his community in both elected and appointed public office, hosted his own local radio and television programs, and managed private businesses all while being an engaged husband and father. Email Frank: [email protected].

Elections Frank Corder October 19, 2026. Mississippi incumbents hold sizeable cash advantage as General Election nears.

Republican U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith's re-election campaign has outraised all other federal candidates in Mississippi this election cycle, bringing in over $6 million. Her Democrat challenger Scott Colom is closing in on $4 million. Three of the Magnolia State's four incumbent Congressmen now top $1 million cash on hand. More From This Author. News Frank Corder October 20, 2026.

$35.5 million grant awarded to modernize 121-year-old Escatawpa River swing bridge. News Frank Corder October 20, 2026.

Auditor launches Non-Profit Spending website showing Mississippi has paid non-profits over $4.2 billion since 2020. News Frank Corder October 19, 2026.

Wicker publicly urges Trump to create a agreement with Zelenskyy: "Mr. President, Please Take This Win!" Elections Frank Corder October 20, 2026.

Colom gets $1.2 million in ad support from national Democrats in lead up to Election Day. News Magnolia Tribune October 21, 2026. Magnolia Mornings: October 21, 2026. Elections Frank Corder October 16, 2026. Colom's campaign notes mugshot is "fake." Law enforcement states otherwise.

For context, a mugshot of Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Scott Colom is being shared online. His team informed one media outlet it was "likely being generated by AI." The 2001 arrest record tells a different story. News Frank Corder October 16, 2026.

Colom notes U.S. Senate race with Hyde-Smith is "tied" but polling, history tell another story in Mississippi.

Mississippi has seen this playbook before from a Democrat challenger to U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. Like Scott Colom's campaign, media outlets ran with polling results in 2020 in her race with Mike Espy showing the Democrat was within 1% of the Republican incumbent. Espy then lost by 10%. News Frank Corder October 21, 2026. Mississippi receives credit rating upgrade for its gaming revenue tax bonds. News Darlene Superville, Associated Press October 20, 2026.

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For now, poll pushed by Colom claiming Senate race with Hyde-Smith is tied was remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.