Democrat Colom: AP projects Mississippi’s first Black senator in more than 100 years
A projected Senate upset
The Associated Press projected Wednesday that Scott Colom would defeat Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi. The outcome would flip a Republican seat in the ruby-red state. Colom’s projected win is the eighth Democratic pickup in the Senate. The race in Alaska remained undecided.
Campaign built late momentum
Colom serves as district attorney for four counties along the Mississippi-Alabama state line and was previously nominated to become a U.S. district judge. His Senate victory would make him Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction.
History and vote count
Hyde-Smith, seeking a second full term, campaigned with President Donald Trump at an October rally and said she was the right choice for Mississippi. She had blocked Colom’s federal judge nomination in 2023; Colom has said he forgave her.
With the vote margin tight after Election Day, both campaigns and their political parties said they were prepared for possible litigation. They focused in particular on provisional ballots, which both sides estimated could number in the thousands.
Key points
- The AP projected Colom would defeat Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi.
- Colom would be Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction.
- The projected win is the eighth Democratic Senate pickup, with Alaska’s race undecided.
- Both campaigns prepared for possible litigation over provisional ballots as the count remained close.