Democrat Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate race in surprise victory for party

Democrat Scott Colom stunned voters in Mississippi by winning a tight US Senate race on Wednesday, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith to become the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction. This victory, along with others, solidified Democrats' control of both chambers of the US Congress, with Democrats now holding at least 55 Senate seats.

Mississippi officials required days to count the close vote, with Colom leading by just a few dozen votes at times. Colom, a 43-year-old district attorney, is the first Democrat to win a Mississippi Senate seat since John Stennis in 1982. Hyde-Smith, 67 and first elected in 2018, had maintained a consistent lead in opinion polls in a state that President Donald Trump had won by nearly 23 points in the 2024 election.

Trump campaigned for Hyde-Smith near the race's end. Colom addressed the perceived betrayal of Trump policies, such as the Iran war driving up fuel prices, during his campaign. He focused on grassroots efforts, including town halls, visits to public housing, festivals, and food trucks. Colom's campaign received support from Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock and Cory Booker.

Hyde-Smith, in 2023, blocked Colom's nomination to serve as a federal district judge in northern Mississippi, citing his stance on transgender issues. Mississippi's other senator, Republican Roger Wicker, supported Colom's nomination. One more race remains to be called in Alaska.