The Associated Press declared Colom the winner by just a few thousand votes after a week of tabulating absentee, affidavit, and outstanding ballots. Colom centered his campaign on the rising cost of living, leveraging incumbent Hyde-Smith's remarks about choosing alternative proteins amid soaring beef prices into a viral attack ad. The race shifted from an overlooked contest rated Likely Republican into a high-profile battle featuring late appearances by President Trump, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Key points
High turnout among Black voters proved essential to overturning Republican control in the…: High turnout among Black voters proved essential to overturning Republican control in the statewide contest.
Colom capitalized on cost-of-living concerns within the state's agriculture-heavy economy…: Colom capitalized on cost-of-living concerns within the state's agriculture-heavy economy to counter the incumbent.
The outcome challenged national Democratic strategies that historically overlooked Missis…: The outcome challenged national Democratic strategies that historically overlooked Mississippi in favor of other competitive states.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Democrat Scott Colom has won election to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi, according to a race call by the Associated Press, narrowly defeating Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.
After more than a week of counting outstanding, absentee ballots and affidavit — or provisional — ballots, Colom won the closest Senate race in the country by just a few thousand votes.
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In a midterm full of stunning upsets for Democrats, Colom's victory underscores a dramatic shift in the political landscape across the South driven by a surge of Black voter turnout.
Mississippi has the highest share of Black voters in the country, at close to 40%, but President Trump won the state by 23 points in 2024. Mississippi hasn't elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in more than 40 years and hasn't sent a Black senator to Washington since Reconstruction.
The state's rural, agriculture-heavy economy was disproportionately impacted by rising prices, and saw millions in investment from both parties, particularly in the final weeks of the race. Colom, a district attorney, made cost of living a centerpiece of his campaign…
The historic upset over incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith establishes the winner as Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator in over 140 years. This unseating bolsters the national party's control of both congressional chambers following sweeping midterm victories across traditional conservative strongholds. Widespread voter frustration with the economy and the foreign conflict in Iran heavily fueled the dramatic political shift.
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