Democrat Scott Colom wins Mississippi 2026 Senate race, flipping seat in upset

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www.cbsnews.com

Washington — Democrat Scott Colom defeated GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in the Mississippi Senate race, CBS News projects, delivering Democrats an eighth flipped Senate seat after the dramatic race had been up in the air for days.

Colom, 43, is a district attorney and seventh-generation Mississippian. He campaigned on cost-of-living and healthcare issues, while pledging to deliver for the Magnolia State where he argued Hyde-Smith hasn't. And he saw support from top surrogates like former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who joined Colom on the campaign trail in the weeks leading up to Election Day. 

He will be the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction.

Colom thanked his supporters — and pointed to his campaign's long odds — during a victory speech late Wednesday at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi.

"Throughout this campaign, there were many times where I had to have faith. There were times that I couldn't get donors to answer the phone. They did not believe a moment like this was possible, but I kept the faith," he said. "I did my first town hall in Jackson, Mississippi. ... Less than 10 people showed up, but I kept the faith."

Hyde-Smith, 67, has been in the Senate since 2018, and was the first woman elected to represent Mississippi in Congress.

"While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters," Hyde-Smith said in a video message Wednesday night. "I want to congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state."

The race became surprisingly competitive in deep-red Mississippi, heating up in the final weeks of the campaign. National Democrats announced last month that they were investing in ad spending in the race for the first time, and the Cook Political Report changed its rating from solidly Republican to leaning Republican, as the headwinds that faced Republicans across the map — an unpopular war in Iran and persistent affordability issues — even made their way to reliably red states.

The race appeared extremely close the day after the election, when at one point just a few dozen votes separated the candidates. But Colom's lead strengthened in the days that followed.

Heading into Election Day, the race appeared to be a steep uphill climb for Democrats. President Trump won the state by 20 points in 2024, and the state hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. But the contest's competitiveness in the final stages of the campaign was illustrative of the broader political environment, which put seats on the map that Democrats wouldn't have dreamed of flipping at the beginning of the cycle. 

"I want to make one thing clear: An election may come to an end, but our commitment to Mississippi never will," Hyde-Smith said added in her video. "I have always believed the public service is about something much bigger than any one person or any one election. It is about the people we serve, the values we hold dear and the future we leave for our children and grandchildren. And while my time in the United States Senate may be coming to an end, my love for Mississippi and determination to stand up for what is right never will. I will always be proud to call Mississippi home." 

With the projected victory, Democrats add yet another seat to their majority, marking their eighth flip after the party won seats in North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas and Maine.

In January, Democrats will control at least 55 Senate seats to Republicans' 44, with Alaska's Senate race still a toss-up.

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