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Democrat Scott Colom defeats Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi Senate race
Scott Colom defeated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s 2026 U.S. Senate race. Multiple outlets described him as the first Black person elected to represent Mississippi in the Senate since Reconstruction.
What the reports agree on
- Colom, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in the Mississippi Senate race. Guardian World, Newsweek, France24, Al Jazeera and 4 more
- Colom’s victory makes him the first Black person elected to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction. Guardian World, Newsweek, France24, Al Jazeera and 4 more
- The race was close and took more than a week to call or confirm. Newsweek, France24, Al Jazeera, ABC News and 1 more
Where reports differ
- Newsweek reported that Colom led by 4,669 votes when The Associated Press called the race, while another Newsweek article reported a 5,611-vote margin. Newsweek
- Reports describe the historical gap as different lengths: France24 said more than 140 years, while Al Jazeera and BBC Top Stories used dates of 1874 or 1875 for the last Black senator from the state. France24
Reported by one outlet
- Newsweek reported that eight counties that Hyde-Smith carried in 2020 switched to Colom in 2026, and no county switched from Democratic to Republican. Newsweek
- Axios reported that Colom gained ground in 75 of Mississippi’s 82 counties. Axios
- Guardian US reported that about 1,000 people gathered at Tougaloo College in Jackson to celebrate Colom’s win. Guardian US
- ABC News reported that Colom campaigned on raising wages, protecting rural hospitals and addressing living costs. ABC News
The original reports
- ABC News Colom’s historic Senate win could reshape Mississippi’s political future: Analysis
- Axios Scott Colom's win in Mississippi puts political change to the test
- Newsweek Closest Senate Races in History as Scott Colom Clinches Victory
- Newsweek The Greatest Ever Political Ad That Helped Scott Colom Win Mississippi
- CBS News Meet Scott Colom, Mississippi's first Black senator since 1881
- Guardian US Share your reaction to Scott Colom’s Mississippi Senate win
- France24 Mississippi elects its first African American to US Senate since Reconstruction
- BBC Top Stories Before Scott Colom, these two men were the last black US senators in Mississippi
- Guardian World First Thing: Mississippi turns blue as Scott Colom unseats Republican Senate incumbent
- France24 Midterms: Democrat Colom claims historic win in Mississippi
- Newsweek Mississippi Map Shows Counties That Flipped Blue
- Al Jazeera Who is Scott Colom, Mississippi’s first Black senator in 150 years?
- France24 Scott Colom makes history in Mississippi as first Black senator in more than 140 years
- Axios From Emmett Till to Robert Johnson, the Delta powered Scott Colom's historic Senate bid
- France24 Mississippi Democrat Scott Colom flips US Senate seat in stunning upset
- France24 Mississippi elects Democrat Colom as state's first post-Civil War Black senator
- Al Jazeera Mississippi elects first Black Senator since 1874
- Guardian US Promises and pride: Scott Colom rejoices with young and old on historic night in Mississippi