Scott Colom (Photo from Colom's Facebook page) and Angie Nixon (Photo from Nixon's Facebook page)
- Democrat nominees for U.S. Senate Scott Colom of Mississippi and Angie Nixon of Florida shared the love Tuesday on X. Until now, Colom has sought to distance himself from those who have aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America.
Scott Colom received a shoutout from Angie Nixon on Tuesday, to which the Mississippi Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate said he has been “blown away” by the Democratic Socialist’s grassroots movement in her Florida U.S. Senate campaign.
“Hey folks! The ENTIRE SOUTH has something to say,” Nixon wrote on X. “We need investments into ALL our campaigns. I am excited to see [Scott Colom’s] race in Mississippi being placed on the map by the folks in Washington. If The People invest in our campaign then we will.”
Nixon, who is running the special election to replace now Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R), then shared her own campaign fundraising link.
Colom reposted Nixon, saying, “Bless you [Angie Nixon]!”
“I’ve been blown away with your grassroots movement and your relentless focus on the needs of working people,” Colom replied. “You’re also taking it to the corrupt regime in DC. Folks, it ain’t a competition between states. It’s a movement to beat the brakes off these enablers EVERYWHERE.”
Colom is running against incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith as well as Independent candidate Ty Pinkins in the November 3 General Election.
Distancing Himself From Democratic Socialists
Until now, Colom has sought to distance himself from the radicals in the Democratic Party, such as those who have aligned themselves with the Democratic Socialists of America.
DSA is calling on Americans to “imagine… a future without capitalism,” where “You have no debt. You don’t need health insurance. You don’t pay a mortgage or have a landlord, because comfortable housing is a human right. Your retirement is publicly funded. Food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation aren’t for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities.”
“Our enemies are not just individual bosses, but the entire global system of capital; not just this or that cop, judge, or president, but the entire anti-democratic structure of our society,” DSA has stated. “We are workers fighting to transform society: to win the battle for democracy, draft a new constitution, and create a democratic socialist republic.”
READ MORE: Scott Colom seeks to distance himself from the new radicals within the Democratic Party
In August, Magnolia Tribune asked Colom if he identified more with the new wave of Democratic candidates or with an older, more moderate guard in his party of choice. While Colom did not directly answer the question, his campaign manager Gerard Henderson sent a response saying, “Mississippians have re-elected Scott Colom district attorney three times because they know his values and exactly what kind of Democrat he is — common-sense, pro-law-enforcement, and focused on them.”
Colom’s campaign manager then added, “Scott opposes abolishing ICE, and supports securing our border, enforcing the law, cutting taxes for cops and teachers, and a two-state solution in the Middle East — period.”
Nixon’s Ties to Democratic Socialists, Working Families Party
For her part, Nixon reportedly joined the Democratic Socialists of America in June ahead of her Democratic Primary win over establishment-backed Alex Vindman, a former national security official who testified at President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial.
In August, Nixon defined herself more as a “social Democrat.” In an interview after he primary win, Nixon appeared on CBS News Miami’s “Facing South Florida” and was questioned about her Democratic Socialist ties.
“We can argue all day about labels. I have a lot of them attached to me, right? But at the end of the day, it’s about the needs of the people. I don’t agree with everything in every organization, like everyone’s full platform. That’s what makes us great in this country, right?” Nixon told host Jim DeFede. “But I do want to be clear: I am not a socialist. I am someone who just really cares about people and believes that hardworking, everyday people should get to shape what our communities look like and what our economies look like. I believe that everyday people should be the ones that are telling us lawmakers the types of policies and the types of legislation that we should be putting forward,”
DeFede followed up by asking, “You just flat-out declared, ‘I am not a socialist.’ So, if you’re not a socialist, why did you join the Democratic Socialists of America?”
Nixon replied, “The Democratic Socialists of America, because they fight for access to quality health care. They’re fighting for allowing people to have control of the government. They are fighting to make sure that our schools are fully funded — you know, fully funded,” Nixon said. “I believe in a big tent, and I guess you can say that I’m more of a social democrat, so to speak. But I am joining organizations. I joined the Working Families Party because they are fighting for working people.”
Similar to Colom’s response to Magnolia Tribune, Nixon went on to separate herself from DSA, saying that she does not believe in abolishing prisons, with the caveat of supporting abolishing for-profit prisons. In another interview with WLRN, Nixon said she does not support defunding the police and expressed support for secure borders “with clear and compassionate pathways for citizenship.”
While Nixon did join the Democratic Socialists of America earlier this year, according to the organization’s most recent candidate tracker, the Florida Democrat’s campaign is not listed under DSA’s current endorsements. However, Nixon has been endorsed by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent member and supporter of Democratic Socialists.
Nixon is also listed as an endorsed candidate by the Working Families Party.
The labor-aligned Working Families Party states that they are building their own party on top of the two-party system in the United States.
“We organize outside the two parties, and then we recruit and train people-powered candidates up and down the ballot and run them to win,” WFP said on its website. “Sometimes we run candidates through Democratic Party primaries, and other times we run candidates on our own.”
Under the “guarantee” section of the WFP website, the organization says, “America is rich enough to guarantee everything we need to build a good life.” The group lists support for healthcare for all, a national jobs program to place workers in union jobs, and 12 weeks paid family and medical leave, among other policy points.
“Tax the rich and get big money out of politics,” WFP proclaims, before touting “guaranteed universal programs that improve the lives of every American.”
Colom Seeks Debates, Calls Hyde-Smith “Chicken”
Also on Tuesday, Colom sought to capture headlines by challenging Senator Hyde-Smith to three televised debates ahead of the November General Election.
“Mississippians deserve to see the two people asking for this job side by side, answering the tough questions that Mississippians deserve to have the answers to,” Colom said, notably omitting independent candidate Pinkins from the fray.
Colom said he has accepted two television station’s (WLBT and WJTV) invitations to debate Hyde-Smith, adding that he is challenging her to a third debate where she could pick the station and moderator.
“Cindy Hyde-Smith needs to stop being chicken and answer for her record. Cindy Hyde-Smith needs to debate,” Colom said.
Pinkins has also called for a series of debates with both Colom and Hyde-Smith.
Hyde-Smith’s campaign has said that losing candidates want to debate debates. There is no indication that the incumbent will be sharing a stage with Colom or Pinkins ahead of the election.
