JACKSON, Mississippi — Democrat Scott Colom defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate election, with the Associated Press calling the contest Wednesday.
Colom is the first Black senator elected in Mississippi since Reconstruction. Mississippi had not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982, and it had not sent a Black senator to Washington since 1875.
His victory gave Democrats at least 55 seats in the Senate.
Colom’s Background
In 2015, Colom unseated a nearly 30-year incumbent and became the first Black district attorney for Mississippi’s 16th Circuit. He recorded a 94% conviction success rate as district attorney.
Former President Joe Biden nominated Colom for a federal judgeship in the Northern District of Mississippi, but Hyde-Smith blocked him from receiving a confirmation hearing.
Colom attended President Donald Trump’s rally for Hyde-Smith in Corinth during the campaign. His campaign carried the message, “Mississippi matters.”
Democratic figures who visited Mississippi during the race included Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris and Bill Clinton. Colom also made stops at Jackson businesses including Marshall’s Music and Book Store, OffBeat and Brent’s Drugs.
Hyde-Smith Concedes
Hyde-Smith said she accepted the result. “While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” she said.
Mississippi does not provide for an automatic recount. A court may order one following a lawsuit, while ballot challenges under state law must be pursued county by county across the state’s 82 counties.
Category: Republic
Tags: Elections, Scott Colom, Cindy Hyde-Smith, U.S. Senate