Democrat Scott Colom won the Mississippi U.S. Senate race on Wednesday night, unseating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith.
The victory makes Colom the first Black Mississippian popularly elected to the U.S. Senate and the first Democrat to win the seat since 1982, according to Newsweek.
As of Wednesday night, CBS reported that Colom leading Hyde-Smith 49.2 percent to 48.7 percent.
A narrow margin in a conservative state
The election result comes in a state that President Donald Trump won by nearly 23 percentage points in 2024, where he received 60.9 percent of the vote to former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 38 percent, Newsweek reported.
Colom, a local prosecutor, maintained a lead of approximately 4,500 to 4,600 votes as the count progressed, Roll Call noted. The Associated Press reported that Colom held a lead of 4,585 votes when the race was first called. Multiple outlets, including CNN, VoteHub, and the Associated Press, called the race for Colom after affidavit ballots from Hinds County were tallied, establishing his advantage over Hyde-Smith.
I've always said this campaign belongs to the people of Mississippi, and I'm incredibly proud of everyone who made their voice heard. I'll work every day in the U. S. Senate to build a future that generations of Mississippians can be just as proud to call home. pic.twitter.com/EwThQhQF0b
Tens of thousands of voters were required to use affidavit ballots after being designated as "inactive" following changes to state voter list maintenance procedures.
A late update in Jackson County, a Republican stronghold, saw the reporting of more than 2,000 additional votes, but Hyde-Smith did not make up any ground against her opponent, MS NOW reported. By Wednesday, Colom’s lead reached 4,669 votes, a margin MS NOW reported was too large for the incumbent to overcome.
An independent candidate, Ty Pinkins, who ran as the 2024 Democratic Senate nominee, received 2 percent of the vote, Roll Call reported.
Democratic and Republican groups spend heavily on the race
Major Democratic outside groups spent heavily in the race late in the cycle. WinSenate, which is affiliated with Senate Democrats’ top super PAC, invested $2.2 million, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent $500,000 on a coordinated ad buy late last month, Roll Call reported.
Thank you, Mississippi. pic.twitter.com/DtNPffutPu
The pro-Republican Senate Leadership Fund spent $1.7 million on the race, Roll Call said. President Trump held a rally for Hyde-Smith on October 26.
Colom’s campaign utilized unconventional outreach and ads that focused on economic issues, including a viral advertisement that played on Hyde-Smith’s previous comments regarding rising beef prices, Roll Call reported. Colom used the nickname “Cindy High Prices” for his opponent and highlighted her support for the administration’s tariffs. Colom campaigned by visiting all 82 counties in Mississippi.
Hyde-Smith’s campaign countered by describing Colom as a puppet for the family of billionaire liberal donor George Soros, who has provided funding for the Democrat’s political efforts. Hyde-Smith also faced criticism for a lack of public appearances.
The win contributes to a broader shift in the midterms, as Democrats gained control of both the House and the Senate, Yahoo News reported. In the Senate, Democrats won seats in Texas, Kansas, and South Carolina.
This gives the Democratic party their largest majority in the chamber since 2011, bringing the caucus to at least 55 seats. If the undecided Senate race in Alaska—where former Representative Mary Peltola holds a narrow lead over incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan—is won by Democrats, the majority would reach 56 seats.
Colom joins other Democrats who flipped seats in deep-red states, such as Annie Andrews in South Carolina, Adam Hamilton in Kansas, and James Talarico in Texas, Roll Call reported.
Reactions from the candidates
Hyde-Smith conceded the race via a video posted to X on Wednesday evening, MS NOW reported. Sources close to the Colom campaign told MS NOW that Hyde-Smith called Colom to concede around 6 p.m. ET.
“While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters. I want to congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state,” Hyde-Smith said, according to Newsweek.
Earlier, Hyde-Smith shared a video on X stating, “While this was not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,”
Colom addressed the future of the state on social media on Monday, Roll Call reported.
I’ll work every day in the U.S. Senate to build a future that generations of Mississippians can be just as proud to call home. Colom said
Derrick Johnson, the national president of the NAACP, praised the victory for Colom and for Black voters. Johnson said that Black voters demonstrated the power of civic engagement and the strength of democracy, noting that their political power had been curtailed by the Supreme Court and threatened by the Trump administration.
Senate Majority PAC spokesperson Lauren French issued a statement Wednesday night, noting that Colom has spent his career fighting for Mississippi families and working to strengthen communities. French added, “Today, Mississippians rejected more of the same and elected a senator who will actually fight for them with Scott Colom.”
New York Democrat Chuck Schumer said that he had considered Colom a potential Senate candidate for several years. Schumer told MS NOW that he had invited Colom and his father to his home for brunch four years ago to encourage him to run. According to Schumer, Colom and his father indicated they did not want to run at that time, but said that Hyde-Smith appeared weak enough to defeat.
Polling trends prior to election day
The final results contrasted with several pre-election surveys that showed the incumbent in the lead.
| Survey Source | Date Conducted | Hyde-Smith Support | Colom Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change Research | October 21 to 22 | 43 percent | 40 percent |
| Data for Progress | August 5 to 15 | 44 percent | 38 percent |
The Change Research survey, which included 842 voters, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, Newsweek reported. A Data for Progress poll of 1,018 likely voters had a 3-point margin of error, Newsweek reported.
Earlier coverage: Scott Colom Leads Cindy Hyde-Smith by 65 Votes in Mississippi