Democrat Scott Colom was projected the winner of Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race on Wednesday, November 11, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith and becoming the first Black senator elected from the state since Reconstruction. The Associated Press also called the race, which was decided after days of vote counting following the November 3 election.
With about 99% of ballots counted, Colom led Hyde-Smith by 49.2% to 48.7%, a margin of 4,585 votes, according to the figures reported as the race was called. The 43-year-old district attorney will also be Mississippi’s first Democratic senator in nearly four decades. The Associated Press reported that Hyde-Smith conceded.
“While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” Hyde-Smith said in a video posted on X. She congratulated Colom and wished him well in representing the state.
A historic return to the Senate
Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator, Hiram Revels, served during Reconstruction. Colom invoked Revels in his victory speech in Jackson, reflecting on the state’s history of Black activism and the role of faith in pursuing change.
“Mississippi, our prayers have often changed the course of history,” Colom told supporters. He said local residents who believed the state could make progress had helped secure the victory.
The result was one of several Senate gains for Democrats in the midterm elections. Democrats were set to hold 55 seats in the 100-member chamber, with Republicans holding 44 and the Alaska race still uncalled. Control of both the Senate and House gives Democrats the ability to block legislation and Trump administration appointments.
Clayton Ward 
Nicole French