Democrat Scott Colom, a district attorney in eastern Mississippi, defeated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in the Nov. 3 election, becoming the state’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction ended after the Civil War. KSL
The win flips a Senate seat Republicans had held since 1978. It is one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 midterms.
How did Scott Colom win?
The Associated Press called the race for Scott Colom. As of Nov. 12 at 12:17 a.m. WAT, with an estimated 99% of votes counted, AP’s count showed Colom with 473,336 votes, or 49.2%, and Hyde-Smith with 468,667 votes, or 48.7%. Independent Ty Pinkins had 20,234 votes, or 2.1%. Those numbers may have changed since then.
The race was decided on Nov. 11 after a drawn out ballot count that kept the outcome unclear for days. Mississippi counts absentee and provisional ballots after Election Day, which slowed the final tally. boston25news
Why is Scott Colom’s win historic?
Mississippi has the largest share of Black residents of any state but has been run mostly by white conservatives for generations, according to reports. Black residents make up nearly 4 in 10 Mississippians. etvbharat
Hyde-Smith had beaten Democrat Mike Espy twice. Espy, a former U.S. agriculture secretary, had also been the state’s first Black congressman since Reconstruction. lanacion
Reconstruction was the period after the Civil War when the federal government worked to rebuild the South and protect the rights of formerly enslaved people. Mississippi’s only Black senators before now, Hiram Revels and Blanche K. Bruce, served during that era in the 1870s.
For many Black voters in the state, the result carries meaning that reaches back to the end of Reconstruction, when Black political power in the South was stripped away through violence and laws aimed at keeping Black residents from voting.
How did Hyde-Smith respond?
Hyde-Smith posted a short thank you to Mississippi on X on Nov. 11. In a video, she said the outcome was not what her campaign had worked and hoped for.
A spokesman said she called Colom to congratulate him and concede before the video went public. indiatvnews
Former Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Hyde-Smith to the Senate in 2018 after Republican Sen. Thad Cochran resigned. She became the first woman to represent Mississippi in Congress. She won a special election later in 2018 and a full term in 2020. indiatvnews
What does Scott Colom’s win mean for the Senate?
Scott Colom’s victory hands Democrats a major upset in a tough midterm for Republicans. The flip in a state Republicans have long dominated is likely to be studied by both parties ahead of 2028. 2news
Colom will take office in January when the new Congress is sworn in. Hyde-Smith will serve out the rest of her term until then.
Who is Scott Colom?
Scott Colom serves as a district attorney in eastern Mississippi. He made a Nov. 6 campaign stop in Jackson at Marshall’s Music and Book Store, which is recognized as the oldest bookstore in the country with Black ownership. Colom will join a small group of Black senators in the chamber. cp24
On Nov. 11, Colom spoke by phone with Sen. Cory Booker in Jackson, according to AP photos. wdbo
Residents of Jackson’s historic Farish Street neighborhood told reporters his candidacy filled them with pride and gave them someone to look up to. ajc
For Black Mississippians, the wait for a senator who looks like them lasted well over a century.
