Mississippi US Senate race: Scott Colom defeats Cindy Hyde-Smith after ballot count

Democrat Scott Colom won Mississippi’s closely watched US Senate race against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. The Associated Press called the result on Wednesday. The call followed several days of counting absentee and provisional votes. The outcome made Colom the state’s first Black US senator since Reconstruction. It also added to midterm setbacks for President Donald Trump’s party.

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Hyde-Smith conceded in a short online statement after the race was called. "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.\" A spokesman said Hyde-Smith phoned Colom before the video appeared online.

Scott Colom victory in Mississippi US Senate race

Colom, 43, worked as a local prosecutor and ran on reaching voters across the state. Mississippi politics has long reflected deep racial divisions. Colom argued that government should respond to daily needs in rural and urban areas. \"Its got to be about having a party that represents rural America again, suburban America, urban America - a party that makes sure we actually deliver for voters in ways that make their lives better,\" he said.

Colom drew support from voters unhappy with the economy and Hyde-Smith’s campaign problems. Mississippi has the nation’s largest share of Black voters. Colom aimed to lift Black turnout and raise Democratic support among white voters. \"They actually deserve a senator that will listen to them, that actually cares about what they think, actually cares about what theyre going through,\" Colom said late in the campaign.

National Democrats react to Scott Colom win in Mississippi US Senate race

National Democrats praised the result and pointed to changing Southern political maps. \"Scott Colom is the only person who couldve gotten this done,\" Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer of New York posted online. \"Along with his staff and volunteers, Scott ran the campaign of a lifetime and re-imagined whats possible for Democrats in the South.\" Party leaders also cited upset wins in other states.

Former President Bill Clinton, who campaigned with Colom days before the election, also responded online. Clinton told Colom he won because you believe in the promise of your states people. And they believed in you right back. Im honoured to have stood alongside you. Democrats said the win supported arguments that future national gains may include parts of the American South.

How Scott Colom campaign shifted Mississippi US Senate race

For months, Washington paid limited attention to the contest. Democrats later increased funding after some Black senators urged donors to engage. Georgia’s Raphael Warnock and Maryland’s Angela Alsobrooks pushed the party to view the race as winnable. Colom, the son of a former Republican linked to President Ronald Reagan, gained notice as Hyde-Smith’s weaknesses became clearer.

Some of Colom’s best-known ads focused on food prices and daily pressures. After Hyde-Smith, 67, suggested shoppers could switch proteins amid high beef prices, Colom aired a 30-second ad. The spot showed voters saying they would choose another senator. Colom also targeted Trump-era tariffs and the Iran war. Colom said these policies hurt Mississippi farmers most.

In late October, Trump held a rally in Corinth, Mississippi, with Hyde-Smith. Colom walked along the line of Trump supporters waiting outside. Colom introduced himself and asked about local concerns. Later, Trump called Hyde-Smith on stage. Hyde-Smith said: \"Is this not the best president in our lifetime?\" Trump answered: \"I love that,\" and kept speaking for over 80 minutes.

Colom often criticised Trump’s policies but avoided personal attacks on Trump supporters. Colom instead portrayed Hyde-Smith as ineffective in Washington. That approach mattered in a state used to senior senators. Thad Cochran, Trent Lott and John Stennis all held powerful roles. They also brought federal resources back to Mississippi. Colom said Hyde-Smith did not play a similar role.

Mississippi US Senate race and Cindy Hyde-Smith role in blocked nomination

The race also carried a personal political backstory. In 2022, then-President Joe Biden nominated Colom to be a U.S. District Court judge. The role was in the Northern District of Mississippi. Mississippi’s senior Republican Sen. Roger Wicker supported the nomination. Former Gov. Haley Barbour also backed it. Hyde-Smith blocked the confirmation using Senate home-state tradition.

Colom said the Senate run was not about payback against Hyde-Smith. The campaign later turned to Mississippi history in its closing message. One ad showed Colom at Medgar Evers’ home in Jackson. Evers, a civil rights leader, was murdered there in 1963. A white supremacist shot Evers in the driveway. Evers died in front of family members.

\"In Mississippi, no one is above the law, and no one should be outside its protection,\" Colom said in the ad. Colom described Evers’ military service at Normandy in World War II. Colom also referenced Evers’ voter registration work in Mississippi. Colom noted it took three decades to secure a conviction. \"He was killed for helping Mississippians vote,\" Colom said.

Colom ended that message with a final appeal to voters. \"On Tuesday, use your vote and honour everyone who died for that right.\" Outside help grew late in the campaign. Schumer helped raise money for Colom. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also provided financial support. Former Vice President Kamala Harris joined Clinton in campaigning for Colom near the end.

Mississippi voting trends behind Scott Colom US Senate race outcome

Mississippi elections have tightened compared with nearby Southern states. Trump won the state by double digits in three presidential races. Still, in 2023, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves won reelection by only 3 points. Results in this Senate race showed heavy turnout in the Mississippi Delta. The Delta includes many majority-Black counties and has long shaped state politics.

Nearly all parts of Mississippi shifted left compared with the 2024 election. Trump carried Mississippi by nearly 23 points in 2024. Hyde-Smith first entered the Senate through an appointment in 2018. Then-Gov. Phil Bryant selected Hyde-Smith, then the state agriculture commissioner, after Cochran resigned. Hyde-Smith later won a 2018 special runoff and a full term in 2020.

Both Hyde-Smith victories came against Democrat Mike Espy. Espy served as a US agriculture secretary. Espy was also Mississippi’s first Black congressman since Reconstruction. The state had not elected a new Democratic senator since 1947. That earlier winner was a staunch segregationist. Colom’s win marked a major shift in a state long run by white conservatives.

During the long ballot count, Colom spoke about the scale of the result. Colom noted the historic nature of succeeding where Espy fell short. Colom said the focus should rest on future generations, not personal praise. \"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, he said, and they want to be United States senator, that nobody says because of anything Ive done that they shouldnt get a chance.\"

With counting complete and the race called, Mississippi prepared to send Colom to the Senate. Hyde-Smith accepted the decision and offered public congratulations. Democrats treated the win as part of wider midterm losses for Trump’s party. The final results also reflected close recent voting margins in Mississippi and higher turnout in key Black-majority areas.

With inputs from PTI