In an upset, Democrat Scott Colom wins Mississippi 2026 Senate race, flipping seat as Alaska remains uncertain

Colom defeats Hyde-Smith

CBS News projected that Democrat Scott Colom beat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s Senate race. The outcome gives Democrats their eighth Senate pickup.

A close race in Mississippi

The contest drew unusual attention in a state that has long favored Republicans. The race remained unresolved for days, and national Democrats began spending on advertising there last month for the first time.

The Cook Political Report shifted its rating from solidly Republican to leaning Republican. The article cited an unpopular war in Iran and ongoing affordability concerns among the political pressures facing Republicans.

Democrats expand Senate lead

Before Election Day, Democrats faced a difficult path in Mississippi. Trump won the state by 20 points in 2024, and Mississippi had not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982.

In January, Democrats will control at least 55 Senate seats and Republicans will hold 44, with Alaska’s Senate contest still a toss-up. Mississippi’s competitiveness reflected a wider political environment that made seats Democrats had not expected to flip earlier in the cycle competitive.