Democrat Scott Colom Narrowly Unseats Hyde-Smith in Mississippi Senate Upset

JACKSON, Miss. — Democrat Scott Colom, a district attorney from north Mississippi, defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in the state’s U.S. Senate race, winning by roughly 4,700 votes after more than a week of counting absentee and provisional ballots. The Associated Press called the contest Wednesday evening, with Colom at 49.2% (473,336 votes) to Hyde-Smith’s 48.7% (468,667) and independent Ty Pinkins at about 2%.Hyde-Smith conceded in a video posted to X, saying her campaign “worked tirelessly to ensure every legally cast vote was counted” and that she respects “the decision of Mississippi voters.” She congratulated Colom and called serving the state one of the greatest honors of her life.

The result flips a seat Republicans had held for decades in a state President Trump carried by more than 20 points in 2024. It is the first time Mississippi has elected a Democrat to the Senate since John Stennis in 1982 and the first time the state has sent a Black senator to Washington since Blanche K. Bruce during Reconstruction.Colom, 43, capitalized on economic discontent and a viral campaign ad that mocked Hyde-Smith’s comment about choosing “another protein” amid rising beef prices. He ran hard in growing suburbs; analyses show a large swing in places like DeSoto County outside Memphis, which supplied a substantial portion of his statewide margin. Strong Black turnout and crossover support in some Trump-leaning counties also played a role, according to early breakdowns.The race drew late national attention and money.

Hyde-Smith had blocked Colom’s earlier nomination to a federal judgeship, citing concerns that included substantial support from a Soros-linked PAC in Colom’s 2015 district-attorney race. Federal filings show members of the Soros family later contributed directly to Colom’s Senate campaign, and national Democratic groups and lawyers, including those associated with Marc Elias, engaged as the count stretched. Trump held a late rally for Hyde-Smith, but it was not enough to overcome the Democratic midterm wave that has given the party control of the House and expanded its Senate majority to at least 55 seats pending the Alaska outcome.Mississippi has no automatic recount law; any challenge would require a court order. With the margin near half a percentage point and most outstanding ballots already reviewed, Hyde-Smith’s concession effectively ended the contest. Colom’s win is being framed by Democrats as historic progress in the Deep South. Republicans note the razor-thin result in a reliably conservative state, the role of outside progressive funding, and the prolonged post-election count that decided the outcome.