Democrat Scott Colom stuns Hyde-Smith in Mississippi Senate race, first Democrat to win the seat in 44 years

The Associated Press called the U.S. Senate race in Mississippi on Wednesday evening (November 11) for Democrat Scott Colom, a district attorney, who narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Hyde-Smith conceded in a video posted to social media and called to congratulate him. With 99% of votes counted, Colom led 49.2% to 48.7%, a margin of about 4,669 votes; final totals await certification by counties by November 13.

First Democrat in 44 years; first Black senator since Reconstruction

Colom, 43, will become Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since the Reconstruction era and the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state since John Stennis in 1982. His victory lifts Democrats to at least 55 seats in the 100-member Senate in the new Congress, with the Alaska race still undecided. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins took about 2.1% of the vote.

A week of counting; cost of living the central issue

The race was the closest Senate contest in the country. After Election Day, Mississippi spent more than a week counting absentee and affidavit — or provisional — ballots, and Colom's lead was at one point only a few dozen votes. Colom made the cost of living the centrepiece of his campaign, branding Hyde-Smith "Cindy High-Prices". Hyde-Smith, a cattle rancher and former state agriculture commissioner, said earlier this year when asked about high beef prices that there were "so many other proteins to choose from" — a remark Colom's campaign turned into a viral ad declaring it was time to "pick another senator".

A deep-red state flips; Trump campaigned in person

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, and the Cook Political Report had rated the seat Likely Republican going into election night. In the final week, Trump rallied in the state for Hyde-Smith, while former Vice President Kamala Harris and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock campaigned for Colom. Hyde-Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 and won a full term in 2020 by about 10 points; in 2023 she blocked Colom's lifetime appointment to a federal district court.

Certification due November 13; legal challenge possible

Counties must complete certification by November 13, and the final totals are not yet certified. Mississippi has no automatic recount procedure; lawyers for the Senate GOP's campaign arm have already demanded that state election officials preserve records and provisional ballots, a move Colom's lawyers called "unlawful". In her concession video, Hyde-Smith said: "While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters." Sources: Associated Press; NPR; The Hill.