Scott Colom Wins Mississippi Senate Seat in Historic Upset Over Hyde-Smith

CNN's Decision Desk projected on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, that Democrat Scott Colom has defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's Senate race, ending eight days of uncertainty. Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat in one of the 2026 midterms' biggest upsets — the first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction and the first Democrat to win the seat since 1982.

Key Points

• CNN's Decision Desk projected on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, that Democrat Scott Colom, 43, has defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.
• Colom becomes the first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction and the first Democrat to win the seat since John Stennis in 1982.
• The Associated Press still listed the race as too early to call, but its tally showed Colom ahead 472,273 to 467,628 (49.2% to 48.7%).
• Hyde-Smith congratulated Colom in a video posted to social media on Wednesday evening, saying she respected the decision of Mississippi voters.
• Democrats have flipped seven Republican-held Senate seats and hold at least 54, with only Alaska still uncalled.

What Happened

The call came eight days after voters went to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in a race uncalled longer than almost any other Senate contest. Colom's lead grew slowly as counties worked through thousands of affidavit and absentee ballots, from just 43 votes on election night to about 1,138, then roughly 1,800, and finally about 2,574.

By Wednesday, the Associated Press tally showed Colom ahead 472,273 to 467,628 — a margin of 4,645 votes — with 100% of precincts reporting and about 98.57% of the vote counted. CNN concluded the remaining ballots could not close the gap and projected Colom the winner.

Hours after the projection, Hyde-Smith ended her silence with a concession video on social media. “While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” she said. “I congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state.” The day before, she told reporters: “We are still counting votes and there's a few thousand out. We feel confident.”

Background: Eight Days of Counting in Mississippi

The race was one of the closest Senate contests in the nation, and the count stretched on for more than a week. Both campaigns assembled legal teams ahead of the December 3 certification deadline, sending dueling letters to election officials: Hyde-Smith's lawyers asked officials to segregate affidavit ballots and preserve records; Colom's lawyers called that unlawful.

The fight centred on thousands of provisional and absentee ballots. Colom's campaign put the number of outstanding provisional ballots at 15,000, while Republicans estimated as many as 20,000 absentee and provisional ballots remained. Secretary of State Michael Watson said the total was unknown. In Hinds County, officials publicly sorted hundreds of affidavit ballots, including 233 from Jackson State University students, some rejected for wrong-precinct registration.

The count was shadowed by a separate controversy: faulty data from credit bureau Experian had moved more than 200,000 Mississippi voters to inactive status, drawing national scrutiny as the race stayed uncalled. Read our report on the Experian voter-roll problem in Mississippi.

Scott Colom Wins Mississippi Senate Seat on a Turnout Formula

Colom, a 43-year-old district attorney, built his campaign on a simple formula: huge turnout among Mississippi's Black population — 35%, the largest share of any state — combined with at least a quarter of the White vote. In the final two weeks Democrats outspent Republicans $9 million to $3.9 million (AdImpact).

The closing stretch brought national figures to Mississippi. Former Vice President Kamala Harris joined Colom at a rally of about 1,000 people, and President Donald Trump flew in to headline a rally for Hyde-Smith in the final week. Colom challenged Trump to a debate in Columbus, saying, “I want him to answer why he didn't release the Epstein files, why he betrayed the farmers.”

Colom campaigned under the slogan “Mississippi matters,” telling CNN: “I think the country has been conditioned to write off Mississippi when it comes to politics. Mississippi's not a lost cause. It's a betrayed cause.” His victory defied recent history: Trump won the state by 23 points in 2024, and Democrat Mike Espy lost to Hyde-Smith by 10 points in 2020.

Reactions and Quotes

Hyde-Smith's defeat ends a notably quiet eight years in the Senate. She was rarely seen during the campaign, including at the rally Trump headlined for her in the final week, where she spoke for just a few seconds — “Is this not the best president in our lifetime?” — before walking away.

On election night, she prematurely claimed victory, telling supporters: “I blocked Scott Colom from being a federal judge, and you blocked him from being a US senator.” She then said little in public for over a week, until her concession video.

Colom, by contrast, held at least eight public events after the election. “We were prepared for this for months,” he said during the count. “We have an army of lawyers. We have local lawyers. We have everybody involved to make sure the process is followed according to the law.”

Why It Matters

The result is historic on two counts. Colom is the first Black person elected to statewide office in Mississippi since Reconstruction, and the state's last Black senator, Blanche Bruce, was born into slavery and elected in 1874 by the state's Republican-controlled legislature. He is also the first Democrat to win the seat since John Stennis, an avowed segregationist, in 1982. The win comes six years after Mississippi removed the Confederate stars and bars from its state flag.

It also reshapes the Senate. Democrats have flipped seven Republican-held seats and hold at least 54, with only Alaska still uncalled, where Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan by about 4,250. Read our earlier report on the ballot-count fight as Colom's lead grew.

What Happens Next

Mississippi's counties must certify their results by Friday, November 13, and the state will declare the final result on December 3. Mississippi has no automatic recount, and neither campaign has signalled a court challenge since the projection.

Colom will take his seat when the new Senate is seated in January, joining a Democratic majority larger than almost anyone forecast before Election Day. Its final size still depends on Alaska, the last uncalled Senate race.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Mississippi Senate race?
Democrat Scott Colom — CNN's Decision Desk projected on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, that he defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

What was the margin?
Colom led 472,273 to 467,628 — 49.2% to 48.7%, a margin of 4,645 votes — with 100% of precincts reporting and about 98.57% counted.

Why is the result historic?
Colom is the first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction, the first Democrat to win the seat since John Stennis in 1982, and the first Black person elected statewide there since Reconstruction.

Did Hyde-Smith concede?
Yes. On Wednesday evening she posted a video congratulating Colom and saying she respected the decision of Mississippi voters.

When is the result final?
Counties must certify by Friday, November 13; Mississippi declares the final result on December 3. The state has no automatic recount.