NewsWPLG Local 10November 12, 2026Miami-Dade County
Democrat Scott Colom Wins U.S. Senate Seat in Mississippi, Breaking Decades of Republican Representation
Photo: WPLG Local 10
Democrat Scott Colom defeated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in the U.S. Senate race, marking the first time a Black man has represented Mississippi in the Senate in nearly 150 years. Voters and political analysts noted that the victory reflects a historic shift in Mississippi politics, driven by voter frustration with the state's economy, school systems, and health care infrastructure.
Read the full story at WPLG Local 10Why It Matters
The election breaks a decades-long monopoly by white conservatives over Mississippi's congressional representation and gives the state its first Black U.S. senator since the era.
Key Facts
- Democrat Scott Colom defeated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in the Mississippi U.S. Senate race.
- Colom is the first Black man to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate in nearly 150 years.
- The victory celebration took place at Tougaloo College on Wednesday evening.
- Prior Black senators from Mississippi included Hiram Revels (seated in 1870) and Blanche K. Bruce (served 1875-1881).
- Voter turnout was influenced by voter frustration regarding the state's economy, school systems, and health care infrastructure.
- Voter turnout was also impacted by recent redistricting and a Supreme Court decision regarding the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
- Mississippi has not seen a Democrat win a U.S. Senate seat since the 1980s.
Who's Mentioned
PersonMedgar Evers“NAACP field secretary assassinated in 1963.”OrganizationTougaloo College“Location of Colom's victory celebration.”locationMississippi“State where the Senate election took place.”PersonEmmett Till“Teenager whose 1955 murder reinvigorated the Civil Rights Movement.”PersonSophie Bates“Contributor to the report from Jackson, Miss.”PersonBlanche K. Bruce“Early Black U.S. Senator from Mississippi serving from 1875 to 1881.”PersonElnora Fisher“Greenville resident who reflected on Mississippi's racial history.”PersonWilliams“Member of AP's Race & Ethnicity team reporting from Detroit.”PersonJerome Dunn“Barber in Jackson who voted for Colom.”OrganizationMississippi State University“University where Shoup is a faculty member.”PersonJanice Johnson“Greenville resident who commented on the election.”locationJackson“City in Mississippi.”PersonAaron Morrison“Contributor to the report from New York.”PersonHiram Revels“First Black U.S. Senator from Mississippi serving starting in 1870.”PersonBrian Shoup“Head of political science and public administration at Mississippi State Univers”PersonCindy Hyde-Smith“Republican incumbent who lost the U.S. Senate race.”PersonFannie Lou Hamer“Civil rights leader who challenged Mississippi's all-white delegation.”locationGreenville“City in the Mississippi Delta.”PersonMartin Luther King Jr.“Civil rights icon who spoke about Mississippi.”PersonDonald Trump“President who endorsed Cindy Hyde-Smith.”PersonIda B. Wells-Barnett“Mississippi-born journalist who investigated 19th-century lynchings.”PersonScott Colom“Democrat who won the U.S. Senate race in Mississippi.”PersonBennie Thompson“U.S. Representative for Mississippi's 2nd District.”