First Thing: Mississippi turns blue as Scott Colom unseats Republican Senate incumbent

Democrat Scott Colom secured a historic victory in Mississippi's Senate race, marking his party's first win in the deeply conservative state in over 140 years. This triumph puts the Democrats at 55 seats in the 100-member Senate, with the race in Alaska still pending. Colom, 43, garnered 49.2% of the vote, while incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, the Republican candidate, received 48.7%.

An independent candidate received 2.1% of the votes. Hyde-Smith, after congratulating Colom via video, acknowledged the voters' decision. Colom's speech at Tougaloo College, greeted by a crowd of supporters, encapsulated his message of collective effort, stating, "It’s something we did." This close election defied expectations, given Hyde-Smith's re-election bid in a state that President Donald Trump won by a wide margin in 2024.

Democrats have achieved numerous wins in the midterms, including the US House of Representatives and the Senate. Colom capitalized on national dissatisfaction with the economy and the Iran war under Trump, positioning himself as a voice against Trump's policies. The Democrat's campaign involved visits to all 82 counties of Mississippi, while Hyde-Smith criticized Colom as a "puppet of billionaire liberal donor George Soros."