Mississippi elects Democrat Scott Colom as a US senator, in photos
Mississippi Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom talks on the phone at his campaign office in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026.
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Mississippi has elected its first Black U.S. senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction and delivered Democrats a major upset in a rocky midterm election for the GOP. Scott Colom defeated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in the Deep South state that has been controlled mostly by white conservatives for generations. Colom noted Mississippi's civil rights history in his Wednesday night victory speech but pledged to represent all Mississippians. The Associated Press called the contest Wednesday evening. Hyde-Smith posted a concession video on social media. National and Mississippi Democrats are celebrating the win as a seismic shift in the state and region. Colom capitalized on the state’s large Black population, discontent with the economy and Hyde-Smith’s mistakes.
It's been nearly 150 years since a Black man has represented Deep South and deep red Mississ…
