Scott Colom will be the next U.S. senator from Mississippi as he has defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. The historic victory adds to Democrats’ impressive midterm election gains and the record-breaking success of Black candidates in the 2026 midterm elections. Colom’s defeat of Hyde-Smith also brings full circle a longtime political battle between the two Mississippians.
Colom elected first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction
CNN projected Wednesday evening that Colom had won the election for the U.S. Senate seat from Mississippi, displacing Hyde-Smith from a seat she has held since 2018. CNN’s Jake Tapper announced the development live. “Democrats now getting their 55th U.S. Senate seat with a Scott Colom victory over incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith,” Tapper said. The win grows Democrats’ majority in the Senate, which could potentially increase once more as Alaska remains the last Senate race to be called. “This is a remarkable moment in American history,” Tapper declared, noting that the last Black senator to be elected from Mississippi served during the Reconstruction era. “That senator was Blanche Bruce, elected back in 1874; he had been born into slavery.”
Colom’s win came after the state processed thousands of absentee ballots, including provisional ballots that had been set aside because of potential voter registration issues for the voters casting those ballots. As Blavity previously reported, Mississippi law provided procedures for processing these ballots, also known as affidavit ballots, in order to ultimately either reject or count them. As the race remained close over the week, there had been concern that Hyde-Smith might challenge the provisional ballots, potentially setting up a long court fight. Instead, the GOP senator conceded the race. “While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” Hyde-Smith said. “I want to congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state,” Hyde-Smith added.
Colom defeats Hyde-Smith, builds on legacy of Black Mississippians
The senator’s concession brings to an end a multi-year political battle between Colom and Hyde-Smith. The clash dates back to at least 2023, when President Joe Biden nominated Colom, who was serving as a district attorney, for the position of U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Mississippi. Colom’s nomination was ultimately blocked by Sen. Hyde-Smith. Despite describing Colom as “smart and well liked in his district,” Hyde-Smith raised objections to his view on transgender rights and criticized him for being supported by a political action committee funded by liberal billionaire George Soros. Colom credited that experience as part of his decision to challenge Hyde-Smith for the U.S. Senate seat. “What troubled me about it was it didn’t matter what any of the people in Mississippi said. It didn’t matter if Republicans supported my nomination,” Colom previously said to the Magnolia Tribune concerning his scuttled nomination. “Our junior senator just decided she wasn’t even going to let me have a hearing.” Hyde-Smith recently boasted about blocking Colom’s nomination, telling her supporters on Election Night, “I blocked Scott Colom from being a judge, and you blocked him from being a senator.” She also added, “Kamala Harris learned a lesson that we may not quite enjoy her company in Mississippi,” referring to the former vice president’s campaigning for Colom.
While bad blood existed between Hyde-Smith and Colom, the senator-elect struck a positive tone as he spoke to supporters on Wednesday. He explained how his faith kept him going even as others doubted whether he could achieve the victory that has now been completed. “There were times when I was tired and I felt like I couldn’t keep going, but I kept the faith, and that is another tradition of our state.” He who “had faith in Mississippi at times when it seems impossible.” Colom specifically cited slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, who “served his country and came home to Mississippi and they wouldn’t let him vote.” Colom declared that Evers maintained “faith that a day like this was possible.”
Colom’s victory builds on the successes of figures such as Evers and Blanche, as well as Hiram Revels, who represented Mississippi in the U.S. Senate from 1870-71 as the nation’s first Black senator. Now, Colom is set to take office at a time of unprecedented success for Black candidates throughout the U.S.