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Scott Colom wins his Mississippi Senate race, becoming the first black senator in 140 years. Photo / Getty Images
In a historic upset, Democrat Scott Colom has won his United States Senate race in traditionally conservative Mississippi, networks projected today, making him the first African-American elected to the chamber from the southern state in more than 140 years.
Colom, a 43-year-old district attorney, prevailed over Republican incumbent Senator Cindy
Hyde-Smith in perhaps the most extraordinary seat flip of an already extraordinary US Midterm elections, in which Democrats crushed the Republicans to reclaim the majority in both chambers of Congress.
Colom’s win adds sting to the stunning rebuke of US President Donald Trump as voters around the country shunned his Republican Party, even in states that had not sent a Democrat to Washington in decades.
The latest win, called by US news outlets that included CNN, NBC and CBS, will give Democrats 55 seats in the 100-member Senate, with 44 for Republicans and one race – in Alaska – still outstanding.
Hyde-Smith, in office since 2018, conceded the race in a video posted to X.
“While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” the 67-year-old senator said. “I want to congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state.”
The race in ruby red Mississippi went down to the wire – a surprise for many observers who doubted the scale of the Democratic blue wave riding on mounting anger over Trump’s harsh immigration policy, the war in Iran and rising costs of living.
CNN called it for Colom on Thursday, eight days after election night, with some 99% of the vote in and the Democrat ahead of Hyde-Smith by 49.2% to 48.7%, a difference of 4585 votes.
“Blue Mississippi is here,” the US Senate’s top Democrat Chuck Schumer proclaimed on X after the projections came in.
“Scott Colom is the only person who could’ve gotten this done. I knew it from the moment I met him.”
Colom is set to become the first Democratic senator from Mississippi in nearly 40 years, and first black senator from the state since the Reconstruction era after the US Civil War.
Mississippi has no law mandating a recount in the event of a tight election. But legal teams from both candidates are reported to be ramping up for potential challenges.
– AFP
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