Democrat Scott Colom Becomes Mississippi’s First Black US Senator Since 1874
Colom's landmark win marks the first time since the Reconstruction era following the American Civil War that Mississippi has elected a Black representative to the upper chamber
Jackson [Mississippi]: Democrat Scott Colom has unseated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's United States Senate race, securing a historic victory that makes him the first Black senator from the Southern state in more than 150 years, according to media projections.
Colom's landmark win marks the first time since the Reconstruction era following the American Civil War that Mississippi has elected a Black representative to the upper chamber. The previous Black candidate to achieve this feat was former slave Blanche Bruce in 1874.
The outcome carries immense significance in a traditionally conservative state where President Donald Trump secured a victory by nearly 23 percentage points during the 2024 presidential election and actively campaigned for Hyde-Smith in the final stages of the campaign.
The Mississippi contest was among the final uncalled races stemming from the November 3 midterm elections. Vote counting continued for more than a week amid an exceptionally tight race, during which Colom held leads of just dozens of votes before final media projections established a margin of more than 4,500 votes, representing roughly 0.5 percentage points.
The 43-year-old district attorney also became the first Democrat to claim a Mississippi Senate seat since John Stennis in 1982.
The breakthrough further strengthens the congressional majority held by Democrats following widespread gains in the midterms that stripped Republicans of control of both legislative chambers.
The Mississippi outcome establishes a 55-44 Democratic advantage in the 100-member Senate, while one race in Alaska remains unresolved. In the House of Representatives, Democrats have picked up 41 seats to secure a 254-168 advantage, with 13 contests still awaiting final projections.
Consequently, losing control of both chambers leaves President Trump facing a Democratic-led legislative branch for the first time during his presidential tenures, granting the opposition greater leverage to block partisan measures and initiate inquiries into executive governance.
Hyde-Smith, 67, was elected to office in 2018 and had maintained consistent leads in pre-election polling across a traditionally conservative electorate, further bolstered by President Trump's late campaign rally.
Conversely, Colom's campaign gained momentum from October rallies featuring Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Cory Booker of New Jersey.
The rivalry also featured past political friction between the contenders. In 2023, Hyde-Smith blocked Colom's nomination by then-President Joe Biden for a federal judgeship in northern Mississippi, citing his positions on transgender issues, although Mississippi's other Republican senator, Roger Wicker, had supported the nomination.