Democrat Scott Colom Flips Mississippi Senate Seat, a First Since 1982

Democrat Scott Colom has defeated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, according to projections from NBC News and CBS News and a race call by The Associated Press, as reported by NPR. The win gives Democrats an eighth flipped Senate seat this year and makes Colom the state's first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction.

Hyde-Smith conceded in a video message on Wednesday evening. Here is what readers should know about a result that surprised many in a state long considered safely Republican.

What did the election result change?

Mississippi had not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982, NBC News and CBS News reported. CBS News said the seat is the party's eighth flip of the cycle, following North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas and Maine. NBC News and NPR reported that Democrats will hold at least 55 Senate seats next year, with Alaska the only race still to be called.

How close was the race?

Very close. According to NPR, Colom won the closest Senate race in the country by just a few thousand votes, after more than a week of counting absentee and provisional ballots. CBS News reported that at one point only a few dozen votes separated the candidates, and that Colom's lead grew in the days that followed.

Why did a deep-red state tip?

NPR said Mississippi has the highest share of Black voters in the country, at close to 40%, and tied the result to a surge in Black turnout. It also noted that the state's rural, agriculture-heavy economy was hit hard by rising prices.

Colom made the cost of living a centerpiece of his campaign and attacked Hyde-Smith over tariffs, a Republican-backed bill that cut Medicaid funds and the war in Iran, NBC News reported. His campaign also circulated a viral ad built around Hyde-Smith's remark, in response to a question about high beef prices, that people have many other proteins to choose from. The ad urged voters to pick another senator, NPR said.

NBC News exit polling found that a majority of Mississippi voters disapproved of President Donald Trump's job performance. Reports differ on his 2024 margin in the state: NBC News and NPR said he won by 23 points, while CBS News said 20 points.

Who spent money and campaigned?

NBC News reported that the Senate Majority PAC, a major Democratic super PAC, spent nearly $2.1 million on ads, according to the tracking firm AdImpact, and that the Senate Leadership Fund, a GOP super PAC, answered with a buy of similar size. NPR noted that Mississippi drew little national money or attention until the closing days. Trump visited in the final week, while Kamala Harris, Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia and other Democrats campaigned for Colom.

What did the candidates say?

Speaking at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Colom recalled a campaign that struggled to attract donors and a first town hall that drew fewer than 10 people. He said he "kept the faith," according to CBS News. He also promised to represent all Mississippians, including those who did not vote, NBC News reported.

Hyde-Smith, 67, who has served in the Senate since 2018, congratulated Colom and said she respects the decision of Mississippi voters.

What does this mean for Mississippi and the Senate?

For Mississippians, a Democrat will hold a Senate seat for the first time in decades, after a campaign focused on prices, health coverage and the cost of the war in Iran. NBC News said no Democratic senator in the next Congress will represent a redder state.

For the Senate overall, the win widens the Democratic majority to at least 55 seats. NAACP President Derrick Johnson told NBC News the campaign shows it is possible to win in the South when there is investment.

Around Prague, based on reporting by NBC News, CBS News, NPR

Cover photo: Ben Ledbetter, Architect / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, cropped

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