Mississippi Senate: Democrat Colom defeats Hyde-Smith in historic shift
The 43-year-old prosecutor becomes the state's first Black senator since 1870, adding to Democratic gains in a midterm that punished President Trump.
By Takeshi Faure ·
Scott Colom defeated incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race, securing the state’s first Black senator since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. The Associated Press called the contest for Colom on Wednesday after local officials processed a backlog of absentee and provisional ballots, known in Mississippi as affidavit ballots. This result breaks a 79-year streak of Democratic losses in the state’s Senate races, with the last successful Democratic candidate winning in 1947.
The victory shifts the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, giving Democrats at least 55 seats. This outcome extends the midterm rebuke of President Trump, whose Republican Party suffered defeats in multiple states previously controlled by their own members. For Mississippi, a state historically governed by white conservatives, the change represents a structural break in decades of political dominance by a specific demographic and ideological group.
Colom, a 43-year-old local prosecutor, capitalized on the state’s large Black population and widespread economic dissatisfaction. He leveraged Hyde-Smith’s visible missteps during her bid for a second full term. During the final weeks of the campaign, Colom argued that voters needed a representative who engaged directly with their daily struggles. He stated, “They actually deserve a senator that will listen to them, that actually cares about what they think, actually cares about what they’re going through.”
The race gained national traction only after Democrats poured significant funds into Colom’s candidacy following Hyde-Smith’s vulnerabilities. Colom, the son of a former Republican aide to President Ronald Reagan, distinguished himself with aggressive advertising and direct engagement. One widely viewed 30-second spot mocked Hyde-Smith for suggesting consumers buy other proteins when beef prices rose, with voters declaring they would “pick another senator instead.”
In late October, Colom engaged directly with Trump supporters in Corinth, Mississippi, while President Trump rallied with Hyde-Smith. He walked the line of waiting voters, asked about their concerns, and explained his priorities. That evening, Hyde-Smith stepped onto the stage and said, “Is this not the best president in our lifetime?” She then exited, and Trump remarked, “I love that. Sometimes they get up and they talk for 10 minutes.”
Colom’s strategy focused on Hyde-Smith’s low profile in Washington rather than attacking Trump personally. He framed Hyde-Smith as a non-entity, a critique that resonated in a state accustomed to powerful senators like Thad Cochran and John Stennis. An ironic element of the race is that Hyde-Smith previously blocked Colom’s 2022 judicial appointment, a move backed by Republican Sen. Roger Wicker and former Gov. Haley Barbour.
Colom concluded his campaign by referencing the legacy of Medgar Evers, the civil rights leader assassinated in 1963. Standing at Evers’ home in Jackson, Colom highlighted the long fight for justice in that case. He told voters, “He was killed for helping Mississippians vote. On Tuesday, use your vote and honor everyone who died for that right.”
Black Democrats, including Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and Sen. Raphael Warnock, supported Colom early in the race. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker helped raise funds, while former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned for him in the closing weeks. Despite Trump winning Mississippi by double digits in his previous three presidential campaigns, the 2026 results showed nearly all of the state moving leftward compared to 2024, when Trump carried the state by nearly 23 points.
Colom acknowledges the historic nature of the win, particularly for younger residents. He stated, “My job is to do well enough as the next United States senator that the next time some young black boy or girl has the work ethic, the vision, and the values, and they want to be United States senator, that nobody says because of anything I’ve done that they shouldn’t get a chance.”
