Colom Flips Mississippi, Becomes First Black Senator Since 1874
The Facts
- Democrat Scott Colom defeated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, a race The Associated Press called Wednesday after more than a week of counting, making him the first Democrat elected to the state's U.S. Senate delegation since 1982.
- Colom took 49.2% of the vote to Hyde-Smith's 48.7%, a margin of fewer than 5,000 ballots out of nearly a million cast. Democrats will hold at least 55 Senate seats, as Alaska's contest between Mary Peltola and Sen. Dan Sullivan is still uncalled.
- Hyde-Smith conceded in a video post on X, saying she respected "the decision of Mississippi voters," and a source told Fox News Digital she had called Colom. Mississippi has no automatic recount law, and a recount requires a court order.
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The Spin
Republican narrative
Losing one of the reddest states reflects a punishing national mood, from the Iran war to high gas prices to frustration with a Republican-run Congress, compounded by a senator who fumbled a question on food prices and by demographic change in counties that Republicans took for granted. With a 55–44 Senate deficit, the path to recovery looks increasingly difficult, forcing the party to rely on challenging battlegrounds like New Hampshire ahead of 2028.
Democratic narrative
After nearly 150 years, Mississippi has turned a historic page, as voters rejected the notion that history must determine the future. This victory belongs to the people who persevered and made their voices heard, not political strategists fixated on electoral arithmetic. Jobs, wages and stronger schools are the work that will follow now — priorities that make a tangible difference in families' lives.
