Mississippi elects Democrat Scott Colom as a US senator, in photos

Scott Colom's election win in Mississippi means he will be the first Black man to represent the Deep South state in the U.S. Senate in nearly 150 years. Black voters say that, in itself, is historic and could signal change in the state burdened by a legacy of racial oppression and violence. Colom was declared the winner Wednesday following last week's midterms that saw Black people across the South elected to seats in Congress and statewide and local offices. Voters add that Colom's win was helped by white Mississippi voters who blame entrenched Republicans for current economic woes, including the high cost of food and gas.

When Scott Colom is sworn into the U.S. Senate in January, he will not be the first Black senator from Mississippi to make history. Colom, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. He will be the first Black senator from Mississippi in nearly 150 years and the first chosen by voters rather than state lawmakers. The previous Black senators from Mississippi were Hiram Rhodes Revels and Blanche Kelso Bruce. Revels was the first African American to serve in Congress, taking office in 1870. Bruce was the first to serve a full term, starting in 1875. Both were Republicans in the Reconstruction period that followed the Civil War.