Democrat Scott Colom has been projected as the winner of Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race, delivering a significant upset against Republican incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. Multiple national news organizations, including CNN and The Associated Press, called the race for Colom on Wednesday, nearly a week after the November 5 Election Day. This outcome marks a notable shift in a state that has consistently voted Republican in recent decades, and it contributes to the Democratic Party's expected control of Congress starting in January 2027.
The victory by Colom, a 43-year-old district attorney from northern Mississippi, represents a historic moment for the state. He is set to become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi since John Stennis won reelection in 1982. Furthermore, Colom will be the first Black person elected to statewide office in Mississippi since the Reconstruction era, underscoring the groundbreaking nature of his win.
The race remained uncalled for several days following the election due to Mississippi’s procedures for reviewing and counting outstanding ballots. Election officials systematically processed absentee and affidavit ballots, which are provisional votes submitted when a voter’s eligibility or identification requires further verification. As these ballots were reviewed and added to the statewide tally, Colom's narrow advantage continued to grow. Updates from various counties, including Democratic-leaning Hinds County, proved instrumental in solidifying his lead.
When CNN made its projection around 5:05 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Colom held approximately 49.2% of the vote compared to Senator Hyde-Smith’s 48.7%. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins garnered about 2.1%. Colom’s lead stood at roughly 4,500 to 4,700 votes. The Associated Press followed with its call shortly before 6 p.m., after an update from Jackson County added over 2,100 votes, increasing Colom's lead to approximately 4,669 votes out of more than 962,000 total ballots counted. Several other major election forecasters subsequently projected the same outcome.
While the state’s official certification process is not yet complete—Mississippi counties are required to submit certified results by November 13, with statewide certification scheduled for December 3—the projections by national election analysts indicated that the remaining uncounted ballots were insufficient to overcome Colom’s established lead. Senator Hyde-Smith's campaign confirmed Wednesday evening that the Republican senator had spoken with Colom and conceded the race.
This defeat signifies a significant political reversal in Mississippi, a state where Republicans have enjoyed considerable electoral advantages. In her previous full Senate term election in 2020, Senator Hyde-Smith defeated Democrat Mike Espy by approximately 10 percentage points, securing 54.1% of the vote. Furthermore, in the 2024 presidential election, President Donald Trump carried Mississippi by more than 22 percentage points, highlighting the state's strong Republican leanings. Colom’s victory, therefore, stands as one of the most unexpected developments of the 2026 election cycle.
The outcome contributes to what has been a challenging midterm performance for the Republican Party, which saw Democrats secure substantial gains in both chambers of Congress. With Mississippi now projected for Colom, the Democratic caucus is expected to hold 55 seats in the Senate beginning in January 2027. One additional Senate contest, in Alaska, remains officially unresolved, though Democrat Mary Peltola has declared victory while holding a narrow lead over Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. For Republicans, the loss of this Senate seat adds another setback to an election cycle already marked by significant Democratic gains. For Colom, the victory represents a historic political achievement in a state that had not elected a Democratic senator in over four decades, preparing Mississippi for a major change in its representation in Washington.
