Democrat Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat in narrow upset
Scott Colom defeated incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by a few thousand votes, becoming the first Black Mississippian elected to the U.S. Senate in over 140 years and raising the Democratic Senate majority to 55 seats.
Democrat Scott Colom secured a surprise victory in the Mississippi U.S. Senate race, edging incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by a margin of 49.2% to 48.7%, according to CBS figures. The close result delayed the final call for more than a week as local officials tallied every ballot received before the deadline.
Colom’s win marks the first time in more than 140 years that a Black candidate from Mississippi has been elected to the Senate, ending a Republican winning streak in the state that stretched back to 1982.
Hyde-Smith posted a video on X congratulating Colom, saying, "While this was not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters."
The outcome lifts the Democratic majority in the Senate to 55 seats, with the race in Alaska still pending. Analysts note that the result reflects broader voter dissatisfaction with the economy and the Iran conflict under President Donald Trump, echoing similar setbacks for Republicans in other traditionally conservative states during the midterms.