Scott Colom Defeats Cindy Hyde-Smith in Historic Mississippi Senate Upset, First Black Senator Since Reconstruction
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI — November 12, 2026. Democrat Scott Colom has defeated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race, according to projections by CNN, NBC News, CBS News and the Associated Press. The closely fought victory flips a longtime Republican seat and marks a historic milestone: Colom is set to become Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction.
Colom, 43, a district attorney and seventh-generation Mississippian, led by roughly 4,600 votes—about half a percentage point—when major outlets called the race Wednesday, more than a week after Election Day. Hyde-Smith conceded and congratulated him, Reuters reported. Election projections are not the same as formal state certification.
Why this is a historic moment
Mississippi elected two Black U.S. senators during Reconstruction: Hiram Rhodes Revels, who became the first Black U.S. senator in 1870, and Blanche K. Bruce, who began his Senate service in 1875. No Black person has represented Mississippi in the U.S. Senate since Bruce’s service ended in 1881. Colom will also be the first Democrat elected to a U.S. Senate seat from Mississippi since 1982.
How Colom won in a Republican stronghold
President Donald Trump carried Mississippi by nearly 23 percentage points in 2024. Colom nevertheless built a competitive campaign around grocery and fuel prices, health care and affordability, criticizing Hyde-Smith’s response to rising beef prices. High-profile Democrats, including Kamala Harris, Raphael Warnock and Cory Booker, campaigned for him as the race tightened.
The final margin remained exceptionally close. Thousands of provisional and absentee ballots required review after November 3. As local officials processed the outstanding votes, Colom maintained a narrow lead and was projected the winner on November 11.
What the Senate flip means
The upset adds another seat to the incoming Democratic Senate majority and signals the breadth of Democratic gains in the 2026 midterms. It also gives Mississippi a new voice in debates over household costs, health care, federal spending and the balance of power in Washington.
What happens next?
Mississippi election officials must complete certification procedures. Colom is expected to take office with the new Congress in January 2027. His election is both a political upset and a landmark in the state’s long history of racial exclusion and representation.
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Sources: Reuters; Mississippi Today; CBS News; Mississippi Free Press.
