The state representative from Laurel was recovering from breast cancer and was visiting Houston, Texas. She also told her siblings that she was running to be a United States Senator. At first, her sister thought it was a joke because she was currently undergoing active treatment for 10 months. Scott, 61, said that it seemed like some people were trying to claim that someone can’t be sick and come back to life. “The Lord blessed my life and if he wanted to put me in the ground, he’d have done so. “I will continue to work for people’s betterment until my last breath.” The Laurel-based state representative and devout Baptist must defeat other Democratic candidates, including Rep. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) and Howard Sherman (California venture capitalist). They are all vying for the U.S. Senate seat of Roger Wicker, who was a Republican and has been in that position since 2007. Scott’s fundraising approach is very different from her rivals. A search in the Federal Election Commission database did not yield any documents, and she was not able to provide any information about her campaign. She said that her siblings had donated money to her campaign. However, when she was asked about the amount, she couldn’t give a figure. She also stated that she has paid for several radio ads due to air in the near future. When asked how she would finance the spots, she replied that “God has blessed” her with a few dollars. Rep. David Baria, a fellow candidate, has $120,000 in cash and Howard Sherman provided a $500,000 personal loan for his campaign, campaign finance records show. According to Scott’s most recent economic interest statement, which must be filed with the state ethics commissioner by all public officials, Scott owns Aunt Ann’s Front Porch in Laurel, which she claimed she named after her mother. Scott is one of six close-knit siblings. She explained that she chose Houston for cancer treatment because her brother Hal Huff owns a local home health agency and she wanted to be close to family. Her siblings traveled from all over the country to celebrate her birthday when she received her pathology reports. Scott’s House colleagues refused to speak with a Mississippi Today reporter because they were impartial in the Senate race which includes Scott and Baria, a democratic state representative. Scott is well-known in the House for her blunt manner and sharp questions she asks her fellow legislators when they present bills to the floor. When someone presents a bill to Congress, and rushes through the explanation, Scott pauses to ask the presenter “Can you explain what this means?” to force the presenter to elaborate more. She and Speaker Philip Gunn (R-Clinton) sometimes get into friendly disputes on the House’s floor. Gunn claims that he didn’t hear her and didn’t notice she wanted to speak. She says that her track record and experience in the Mississippi legislature is what makes her different from other candidates. Scott stated that her legislative experience sets her apart from the rest of the candidates. “Understanding the workings of monies is crucial for the poorest states in the Union. Every one of the 13 appropriations addressed at the United States Capitol can make a difference for certain entities or individuals in our state,” Scott said. Scott sits on the Mississippi Legislature’s committees for insurance and Medicaid. She also serves as a member of the public health, human services, tourism, and ways and means. Scott was recovering from cancer treatment and returned to the capitol in the middle of the session this year. Scott stated, “When the devil comes after you health, it is important to continue working.” Scott said, “I returned to that Legislature and hit it running.” Scott has filed numerous bills related to health, corrections, and education. These include expanding Medicaid and creating new measures to assist inmates. Except for the occasional House resolution honoring individuals, none of the 200 pieces of legislation got past the committee. Both the Senate and House have Republican supermajorities. This means that they don’t need Democratic votes to pass legislation. Scott travels to various parts of the state in the weeks following the end of the legislative session to visit constituents and solicit their votes. Indianola and Holly Springs were just a few of the stops she made. She also gave speeches and handed out flyers about her candidacy. Many people were not familiar with Scott, but they were engaged in her speech at Claiborne County Multi-Purpose Center, Port Gibson, earlier this month. She said that if she was elected to the Senate, she would “bring another voice to something else than Playboy Bunnies or porn stars”, referring to the current events surrounding President Donald Trump. Scott, a veteran legislator, told the crowd that they should send a messenger from Washington to represent Mississippi’s needs. She also said she would work to alleviate the state’s infrastructure crisis and expand broadband access. Scott stated, “We just need to get out there and actually see people and speak to them.” “I want people understand that when they elect me, it doesn’t matter where they live in state, they’re not going to forgotten.” Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Rep. David Baria as belonging to a different party. He is a Democrat hailing from Bay St. Louis. We are sorry for the error.