Scott Colom Makes History as Mississippi's First Black Senator Since 1881

History was made in Mississippi on Wednesday when Democrat Scott Colom was officially declared the winner of the state's Senate race. Here is a look at this historic victory that has been part of a greater blue wave.

Democrat Scott Colom is Declared the Winner in Tight Senate Race

Mississippi just elected its first Black senator since 1881. Senator-Elect Scott Colom narrowly defeated incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, making history in the Magnolia State. The 43-year-old will be sworn in as the first Black senator from Mississippi since Blanche K. Bruce left office in 1881. Hyde-Smith will vacate the office that she has served since 2018.

While the election was over a week ago, the narrow vote margin delayed the official call until Wednesday evening. Colom maintained a slight lead throughout the last week. It was not until this lead ballooned to over 3,000 votes that the Associated Press felt comfortable calling the race.

Colom previously served as a district attorney in the northeastern corner of the state. He was nominated by former President Joe Biden to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. While Mississippi GOP Sen. Roger Wicker supported Colom's nomination to this role, Hyde-Smith blocked him from taking this seat in April 2023. She achieved this by withholding what is called a "blue slip," a document needed to push judicial nominees through the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Hyde-Smith defended the decision by saying that she had concerns about Colom's record, specifically listing his position on transgender rights as one of the issues. Colom had opposed a 2021 measure that would prevent students in Mississippi from competing on sports teams that matched their gender identity.

At the time, Hyde-Smith told the Free Press, “I visited with the District Attorney recently, and I recognize that he is smart and well liked in his district. However, there are a number of concerns I have regarding his record." She went on to say that “As someone with a strong interest in protecting the rights of girls and women, I am concerned about Scott Colom’s opposition to legislation to protect female athletes."

Hyde-Smith also expressed her issues with what she called the “significant support” Colom “received from George Soros,” a well-known donor to the Democratic Party. The Mississippi Independent reported that while Soros did endorse Colom’s candidacy, he did not provide him with any funding.

The Biden administration was critical of Hyde-Smith's decision to block Colom from serving on the U.S. District Court. Then-White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that it was “unfortunate” that the senator was “preventing the people of Mississippi from having a judge in place in a timely fashion to uphold the rule of law for her state."

Colom's supporters note the irony that had Hyde-Smith approved Colom's appointment, there is a good chance that he would not have thrown his hat in the ring for the state's Senate seat. 

Colom Part of the Broader Blue Wave

Colom's victory made him the eighth Democrat to flip a GOP seat in this year's midterm election. There is still one race left to be called, with Democratic candidate Mary Peltola clinging to a razor-thin lead in Alaska over Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan. As of the late Wednesday update, Peltola leads Sullivan by 3,975 votes. This is down from a lead of 4,250 on Tuesday, according to the Alaska Division of Elections.

Should Peltola hang on to this lead, she will bring the Democratic lead in the Senate to 56, compared to 44 Republican seats. This gives the Democrats a decided advantage in this chamber, allowing it to survive a few defections. Similarly, the House of Representatives also swung to the Democrats in this election. With a few seats still uncalled, the Democrats have 257 confirmed seats, compared to just 169 for the Republicans.

How did Colom pull off the seismic victory in the deep South? Hyde-Smith continued to beat the drum of Colom's support for transgender rights during the Senate campaign. Meanwhile, Colom's centered his campaign on affordability issues, frequently calling his opponent "Cindy High Prices." Colom took issue with Hyde-Smith's endorsement of the Trump tariffs, as well as cuts to healthcare subsidies.

A number of Democratic leaders campaigned with Colom in the final weeks of the election as Democrats began to realize that Colom had a chance of flipping this unlikely seat. Former Vice President Kamala Harris was one of the high-profile Democrats who appeared alongside Colom during the home stretch. Several Democratic super PACs also began funneling money to Colom when it appeared that he had a chance.

On the other side of the aisle, President Donald Trump traveled to Mississippi in an attempt to rally the base to get out and vote for Hyde-Smith.

The race took so long to call because local officials had to vet a high volume of provisional ballots.

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