NEWS
Scott Colom Stuns Mississippi in Historic Upset, Defeats Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith
Scott Colom Stuns Mississippi in Historic Upset, Defeats Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith
…as Democrat Scot Colom To Become Mississippi’s First Black Senator Since 1875
Democrat Scott Colom has pulled off a stunning political upset in the 2026 US midterm elections, defeating incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, one of the most reliably Republican states in the United States.
Colom’s victory marks a historic breakthrough in Mississippi politics, making him the first Black candidate elected to the United States Senate from the state since 1875, bringing an end to more than 150 years without such representation.
The dramatic outcome emerged after more than a week of vote counting, with the closely watched contest attracting significant national attention because of Mississippi’s longstanding Republican dominance.
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The victory is particularly significant given that Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the US Senate since 1982. Colom’s triumph therefore represents not only a personal political breakthrough but also a major challenge to decades of Republican dominance in the state.
Channel
The 43-year-old district attorney secured approximately 49.2 per cent of the vote against Hyde-Smith’s 48.7 per cent, winning by roughly 4,600 votes out of more than 960,000 ballots cast.
His victory followed an intense counting process involving thousands of provisional and affidavit ballots, which ultimately strengthened his narrow lead and ended Hyde-Smith’s hopes of retaining her seat. Reuters +2
The upset has also contributed to a major shift in the balance of power in Washington, with Democrats projected to control at least 55 seats in the 100-member Senate against 44 Republicans, while one race in Alaska remains unresolved.
The Democratic gains give the party control of the Senate and mark a significant setback for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the next phase of his administration.
Colom’s emergence as Mississippi’s first Black senator since Reconstruction adds another historic dimension to the 2026 midterm elections, which have delivered one of the most consequential political realignments in recent Am erican history.
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