Democrat Scott Colom has defeated Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's US Senate race, becoming the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction.
Democrat Scott Colom has defeated Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's US Senate race, according to a projection by the Associated Press. The narrow victory makes Colom, 43, the state's first Black US senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction and the first new Democratic senator chosen by Mississippi since 1947.
The Associated Press projected Colom would defeat Hyde-Smith after more than a week of vote counting. Mississippi election officials had been counting ballots for over a week in a race so close that Colom led by only a few dozen votes at some points. The latest media-tabulated results showed him ahead by more than 4,500 votes, or 0.5 percentage points. As of Wednesday evening, Colom was leading by more than 4,500 votes, with about 1 per cent of ballots left to be counted. Mississippi does not have a law mandating a recount for a close election.
Hyde-Smith, 67, posted a concession video on social media, and a spokesperson confirmed she had called Colom to concede. In the video, she said: "While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters."
The Democrats' Senate leader, Chuck Schumer, wrote on X, "Blue Mississippi is here." Schumer also pledged to "work hand in hand with Scott to fight for Mississippians' healthcare, costs and future in the 120th Congress."
Colom, a seventh-generation Mississippian, touted his "tough on crime" credentials and pledged to put economic concerns above partisanship in Washington. During the campaign, Colom promised to represent all of Mississippi, a state where racial divisions have long defined its politics and society. He said: "It's got to be about having a party that represents rural America again, suburban America, urban America — a party that makes sure we actually deliver for voters in ways that make their lives better."
Colom was only free to run in Mississippi because Hyde-Smith blocked his nomination for a federal judgeship in 2023, citing his position on transgender issues. Mississippi's other US senator, Republican Roger Wicker, supported his nomination for the post. Colom hails from a well-connected family. His father was a Republican who worked for Ronald Reagan, while his mother was a judge.
The outcome adds to a decisive midterm rebuke of President Donald Trump, whose Republican Party suffered defeats in several states. Trump won Mississippi by nearly 23 points in 2024. The result caps a disastrous midterm election for Republicans, who lost both chambers of Congress and Senate seats they previously held in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas.
The Mississippi victory gives the Democrats a 55-44 advantage in the 100-member Senate. The winner of the Senate race in Alaska remains to be determined. The Democrats also won control of the House of Representatives, having gained 41 seats so far and holding a 254-to-168 advantage, with 13 races yet to be called.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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