{
  "id": 18504239,
  "title": "Scott Colom Flips Red Mississippi County Named for KKK's First Grand Wizard",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/scott-colom-flips-red-mississippi-county-named-for-kkks-first-grand",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-06T13:23:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/scott-colom-flip-mississippi-county-kkk-founder-12676236"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scott Colom, Mississippi's Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, has reversed Forrest County's longstanding Republican allegiance, shifting the predominantly Black town of Hattiesburg from 18 points to 29 points in his favor. Colom leads incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by 1,813 votes, 49 percent to 48.9 percent, as of 96 percent of votes counted. Despite the close statewide contest remaining undecided, Colom expressed confidence in winning once the outstanding ballots are counted. The result marks a significant local boost for Colom, as Forrest County, named after the Ku Klux Klan's first Grand Wizard, Nathan Bedford Forrest, has historically leaned Republican. The victory highlights the pressure on Republicans nationally and underscores Hattiesburg's role in Mississippi's civil rights movement.",
  "summary": "The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate is seeking to become the Magnolia State's first Black senator in 145 years.",
  "key_points": [
    "Scott Colom gains 29% support in Forrest County, flipping its Republican tradition.",
    "Colom leads Cindy Hyde-Smith by 1,813 votes, 49% to 48.9%.",
    "County named after Ku Klux Klan's first Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}