Scott Colom Becomes First Black U.S. Senator Elected from Mississippi Since Reconstruction

Mississippi Senator-elect Scott Colom poses with family members at home following his election victory. The family gathered for a portrait in their kitchen, marking the beginning of a new chapter in public service. (Colom Family Photo)

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	Scott Colom Becomes First Black U.S. Senator Elected from Miss. Since Reconstruction Ashley Roberts - Capitol Hill Tell Us USA News Network JACKSON, Miss. — Democrat Scott Colom has won Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race, defeating incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in one of the closest and most closely watched contests of the 2026 midterm elections. Colom, a district attorney from Mississippi’s 16th Judicial District, becomes the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi since 1982 and the first Black senator elected from the state since Reconstruction. The victory marks a stunning upset in a state that has long favored Republicans in statewide races. Mississippi backed Donald Trump by more than 20 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, making Hyde-Smith the favorite entering the campaign. The race remained too close to call for more than a week after Election Day as election officials counted absentee, mail-in and provisional ballots. Colom gradually expanded a narrow lead that emerged after election night and ultimately secured enough votes to win the seat. Throughout the campaign, Colom focused on issues including the cost of living, health care access and support for rural communities. His message resonated with voters beyond the Democratic base while benefiting from strong turnout among Black voters. In a victory speech delivered at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Colom thanked supporters and reflected on the long odds his campaign faced. Hyde-Smith later conceded defeat and congratulated Colom, saying she respected the decision of Mississippi voters. Political analysts say the result could become one of the defining stories of the 2026 midterm elections, highlighting shifting political dynamics across the South and delivering Democrats a breakthrough in a state where Senate victories had eluded the party for more than four decades. With the win, Colom will head to Washington as one of the newest members of the U.S. Senate, carrying the distinction of having achieved one of the most historic electoral victories in modern Mississippi politics.