Democrat Scott Colom has won Mississippi’s 2026 U.S. Senate race, defeating Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith after an unusually long count of affidavit ballots. The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday with 99% of precincts reporting and uncertified results showing Colom ahead by 4,645 votes; Hyde-Smith later conceded, according to Mississippi Today.

A historic result after a prolonged count

Colom, 43, is set to become the first Black person elected to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction. The state’s first two Black senators, Hiram Revels and Blanche K. Bruce, were elected by the Legislature in 1870 and 1875, respectively. Colom will also be the first Democrat elected to a Mississippi Senate seat since 1982, according to Mississippi Today.

The margin remained narrow as county officials processed affidavit ballots by hand after Election Day. AP’s call came after additional votes were reported in Jackson County; CBS News also projected Colom as the winner. Mississippi’s counties had until Friday to certify their results, so the figures cited at the time of the projections were not yet certified.

What the win changes in the Senate

Colom’s win gives Democrats a net gain of eight Senate seats in the 2026 midterms and would bring the Democratic caucus to 55 members, Mississippi Today reported. The outcome is a sharp shift in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide elections for decades, though it does not by itself settle the still-close Alaska Senate race.

Hyde-Smith, who has held the seat since 2018, acknowledged the result and congratulated Colom in a concession statement. The transition now moves from the vote count to certification and the start of the new Senate term.

Image credit: AI-generated editorial illustration.

Sources

Sources: Associated Press; CBS News; Mississippi Today.