Mississippi elects Democrat Scott Colom to Senate in massive upset
Scott Colom has become the first Black person to win a Senate race in Mississippi since 1874 and the first Democrat to do so since 1982 after being declared the victor in a razor-edge election on Wednesday.
Key points
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- He will be the first Black senator elected in Mississippi since the Reconstruction era — and the first Democrat from the state headed to the Senate in 44 years.
- It’s also a major vindication for Colom and other Southern Democrats who argued Mississippi had been neglected for far too long.
National Democratic groups hadn't paid much attention to the Mississippi Senate race until an October surge of excitement for Colom drew late spending and attention.
Additional details
- The win is a stunning upset in one of the country’s most reliably red states, adding to what were already sweeping gains by the Democrats at the midterms.
- Colom's win is a boost to the Democratic Party as it seeks to gain a larger foothold in the South and improve their standing with Black voters.
- Colom, a Democratic district attorney, ran a scrappy campaign that saw some national money and resources in the final stretch of the race.
- Mississippi voted blue, in a shock win for Democrats.
- Cindy Hyde-Smith in a state that went for President Donald Trump by 23 points in 2024.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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Every article behind this summary — 3 articles from 3 outlets
The Guardian WorldNovember 12, 2026, 3:14 PM UTC →
France 24November 12, 2026, 1:37 PM UTC →
PoliticoNovember 11, 2026, 11:01 PM UTC →
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