Scott Colom Wins Mississippi Senate Seat, Becoming First Black Senator From the State Since Reconstruction

Democrat Scott Colom has defeated Republican incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, winning a United States Senate seat his party last carried in 1982 and making history as the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction. CNN and NBC News projected Colom the winner on Wednesday evening, November 11, 2026, eight days after Election Day, and the Associated Press called the race with Colom ahead by fewer than 5,000 votes out of more than 940,000 cast.

The Short Answer

Scott Colom, a 43-year-old Democratic district attorney, has defeated Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's 2026 Senate race. The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, with Colom at 473,336 votes to Hyde-Smith's 468,667 and 100 percent of precincts reporting. Hyde-Smith called Colom on Wednesday to concede. Colom becomes the first Black U.S. senator from Mississippi since Blanche K. Bruce left office in 1881 and the first Democrat to win the seat since John Stennis in 1982.

How the Race Was Called

The race stayed too close to call for eight days after voters went to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as absentee and provisional ballots were counted. Colom held a lead of just over 1,000 votes in the days after Election Day, and that lead grew past 3,000 votes by Wednesday as the final mail-in ballots were tallied. CNN's Decision Desk made its projection Wednesday afternoon, and NBC News followed with a similar call on Wednesday evening. Colom was scheduled to declare victory at 8 p.m. Wednesday, and his campaign said Hyde-Smith had called him to concede.

With about 99 percent of the vote counted, Colom led by roughly half a percentage point — about 4,669 votes out of more than 940,000 cast. Mississippi does not require a 50-percent-plus-one majority in a federal race and has no recount process. State officials said they do not expect final certified totals until Friday, and Mississippi certifies its results on December 3, 2026. The new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027.

A Historic First for Mississippi

Colom, 43, is a seventh-generation Mississippian who has served since 2016 as district attorney for Mississippi's 16th Judicial District, covering Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties. He will be the first Black senator elected from Mississippi since Reconstruction and the first Black candidate elected to statewide office in the state since that era. The last Black senator from Mississippi was Blanche K. Bruce, who left office in 1881. The last Democrat to win the seat was John Stennis, in 1982 — 44 years ago.

The win is the eighth Senate seat Democrats have flipped from Republicans in this year's midterm elections. The Mississippi call moves the new Senate to 55 seats for the Democratic caucus — 53 Democrats plus two independents who caucus with them — against 44 for Republicans, with one race still uncalled: Alaska, where Democrat Mary Peltola leads. If Peltola also wins, Democrats would hold a 56-44 majority, their largest since 2008.

The Upset in a Deep-Red State

The result is arguably the biggest upset of the 2026 midterms. President Donald Trump won Mississippi by more than 23 points in 2024, and the Cook Political Report had Hyde-Smith favored to win. Colom campaigned on the Democrats' central message of the cycle — the cost of living and health care — and built his campaign on high turnout among the state's Black population. Former Vice President Kamala Harris stumped for him in front of 1,000 people, and Trump flew in to headline a rally for Hyde-Smith in the final week of the campaign.

Colom and Hyde-Smith have a history. In 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Colom to be a federal judge for the Northern District of Mississippi. Mississippi's senior Republican senator, Roger Wicker, was ready to support the nomination, but Hyde-Smith refused to return her "blue slip" — the Senate courtesy that lets a home-state senator block a judicial nominee — and the nomination stalled. Hyde-Smith said she objected to Colom's record, including his position on transgender rights. On election night, Hyde-Smith told supporters, "I blocked Scott Colom from being a federal judge, and you blocked him from being a U.S. senator." The final count did not bear that claim out.

What Colom's Win Means for the Senate

Colom's victory widens the Democratic majority voters delivered in last week's midterm elections and gives the party a stronger hand as it prepares to take control of both the House and the Senate in January. The flip also ends Hyde-Smith's eight years in the Senate; she has served since 2018 and was rarely seen on the campaign trail, speaking for only a few seconds at the Trump rally in the final week. For more on how the new Congress is taking shape, see our coverage of Jim Jordan's election as House Republican minority leader.

The result also caps a remarkable week for Democrats. The party's midterm gains already included the House, where the failed push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was blocked 211-204 on Tuesday, and the Senate, where Colom's win is the eighth flip of the cycle. You can follow the latest midterm election results and Senate race updates as the final Alaska count continues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Scott Colom?

Scott Colom is a 43-year-old Democrat and a seventh-generation Mississippian who has served as district attorney for Mississippi's 16th Judicial District since 2016. He is now the senator-elect from Mississippi.

Who did Scott Colom defeat?

Colom defeated Republican incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, 67, who had served in the Senate since 2018. Hyde-Smith called Colom on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, to concede the race.

What was the vote margin?

According to the Associated Press, Colom received 473,336 votes to Hyde-Smith's 468,667 — a margin of about 4,669 votes, or roughly half a percentage point — with 100 percent of precincts reporting.

Why is Scott Colom's win historic?

Colom is the first Black U.S. senator from Mississippi since Blanche K. Bruce left office in 1881, the first Black candidate elected to statewide office in the state since Reconstruction, and the first Democrat to win a Mississippi Senate seat since John Stennis in 1982.

How does this change the Senate?

The Mississippi call moves the new Senate to 55 seats for the Democratic caucus against 44 for Republicans, with Alaska still uncalled. If Democrat Mary Peltola also wins in Alaska, Democrats would hold a 56-44 majority, their largest since 2008.

When does Scott Colom take office?

Mississippi certifies its results on December 3, 2026, and the new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027, when Colom will be sworn in.

Search This Blog

TrendWire Daily