WASHINGTON — Democrat Scott Colom has defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, becoming the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from the state since 1982, according to projections by CNN and other major news organizations.
Colom, 43, a district attorney, also becomes the first Black candidate elected to statewide office in Mississippi since Reconstruction, marking a historic political breakthrough in one of America’s most reliably Republican states.
The closely contested race was decided more than a week after the November 3 midterm elections, with Colom leading by approximately 4,600 votes. Hyde-Smith conceded Wednesday.
Colom focused his campaign on rising living costs, healthcare and economic pressures facing Mississippi families. His victory came despite President Donald Trump winning the state by a substantial margin in the 2024 presidential election.
The result further strengthens Democrats’ newly secured Senate majority, giving the party at least 55 seats in the incoming Congress, with one race still unresolved.
The victory also carries historical significance for Mississippi, a state closely associated with America’s civil rights struggle. Reuters +2
GO WORLD News Desk |
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