Mississippi has elected its first Black U.S. senator in 145 years, with Democrat Scott Colom defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in one of the most closely contested races of the 2026 midterm elections.

The Associated Press declared Colom the winner on Wednesday, November 11, eight days after voters went to the polls. The result marks a historic breakthrough in a state that had not sent a Black representative to the U.S. Senate since 1881.

But there is another distinction that makes Colom's victory significant: he is the first Black senator from Mississippi to win the office through a direct vote of the state's electorate.

How Scott Colom won Mississippi's Senate race

Colom's victory was far from certain on election night. When the final initial results arrived in the early hours of November 4, the Democratic candidate held a lead of just 43 votes over Hyde-Smith.

Over the following week, election officials continued processing outstanding ballots, including provisional votes known locally as affidavit ballots.

According to the Associated Press's explanation of its election call, Colom's advantage had grown to 4,669 votes out of 962,237 counted by Wednesday evening, a margin of approximately half a percentage point.

His strongest support came from heavily Democratic areas around Jackson and the Mississippi Delta, where he secured more than 67% of the vote. He also performed competitively in traditionally Republican regions, helping overcome the advantage enjoyed by the incumbent.

Hyde-Smith conceded on November 11, congratulating Colom and acknowledging the decision of Mississippi voters.

The AP's declaration was based on unofficial results, with county certification still pending. Nevertheless, the combination of Colom's growing lead and the remaining ballots was sufficient for the news organisation to call the contest.

Why Mississippi had not elected a Black senator since 1881

The historical significance of Colom's election becomes clearer when examining the two Black men who previously represented Mississippi in the Senate.

In 1870, Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate. He represented Mississippi during Reconstruction, the period following the American Civil War when formerly enslaved Americans gained new political rights.

Five years later, Blanche K. Bruce became the second Black senator from Mississippi and the first African American to serve a complete six-year Senate term. His service ended on March 3, 1881.

Neither Revels nor Bruce won a modern statewide popular election. Both were selected by Mississippi's state legislature, reflecting the constitutional system used at the time.

That system changed with the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913, which established the direct election of U.S. senators by voters.

Colom's victory therefore represents two separate milestones: Mississippi's first Black senator since Bruce left office 145 years ago, and its first Black senator elected directly by the public.

A historic result in a state with a large Black population

The 145-year absence is particularly striking given Mississippi's demographics.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Black residents account for approximately 36.8% of the state's population, the highest proportion among the 50 U.S. states.

Despite that demographic reality, Black political representation in Mississippi has historically faced significant obstacles, including discriminatory voting restrictions and racial violence during the decades following Reconstruction.

The civil rights movement eventually helped dismantle many of those barriers, but a Black candidate had still not won a U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi during the modern era of direct elections.

Colom's election changes that record.

Who is Scott Colom, and what does his victory mean politically?

Colom, 43, entered the Senate race with a background in criminal justice rather than national politics.

Before his historic victory, he served as a district attorney in northern Mississippi, overseeing prosecutions across several counties.

His campaign focused heavily on issues affecting everyday voters, including healthcare access, living costs and economic opportunities.

He also achieved a broader political upset. As Mississippi Today reported, Colom became the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi since John Stennis won reelection in 1982.

The outcome carries national implications, too. By removing a Republican incumbent from a state that President Donald Trump comfortably won in 2024, Colom contributed to the Democrats' substantial Senate gains in the 2026 midterms.

Speaking to supporters at Tougaloo College after his victory, Colom described his belief that Mississippi could deliver a result few political observers had expected.

His election will not become an official Senate term until he takes office in January 2027. But the historical distinction has already been established by the projected election result: for the first time since Reconstruction, Mississippi voters have chosen a Black man to represent them in the United States Senate.