Colom Wins Mississippi Senate in Historic Upset

Eight days after Election Day, Mississippi has made history. The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday evening, November 11: Democrat Scott Colom has defeated Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. NBC News, CNN and CBS News also projected Colom as the winner, and Reuters reported that Hyde-Smith had lost her reelection bid. With about 99 percent of precincts reporting, Colom led with 473,336 votes, 49.2 percent, against 468,667 for Hyde-Smith, 48.7 percent. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins took 20,234 votes, 2.1 percent. The margin was 4,669 votes out of nearly one million cast, about half a percentage point. Hyde-Smith conceded on Wednesday evening, in a video message and in a phone call to Colom. Colom is the first Democrat elected to the United States Senate from Mississippi since 1982, and the first Black senator from the state since Reconstruction, when Republican Blanche K. Bruce left office in 1881. He is the first Black senator from Mississippi ever chosen by a popular vote. Colom, 43, is a district attorney from Columbus, in Lowndes County. Three years ago, Hyde-Smith blocked his nomination to become a federal judge. Now he has taken her Senate seat. The result is the Democrats' eighth Senate pickup of the midterms. Democrats will hold at least 55 of the 100 Senate seats in the next Congress. Only one Senate race is still uncalled, in Alaska, where Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican Senator Dan Sullivan by about 4,250 votes. Alaska's ranked-choice count cannot begin until November 18. In the House, Democrats have won 254 seats so far, far more than the 218 needed for a majority, with about a dozen races still uncalled. The results remain unofficial until counties submit their certified results, due Friday, November 13. Mississippi has no automatic recount law for a race this close, and the campaigns have said legal challenges are possible. But with Hyde-Smith's concession, the central question is settled. Sources: - Meeko News — "Democrat Scott Colom Wins Mississippi Senate Race in Historic Upset" (November 12, 2026): https://meekonews.com/scott-colom-wins-mississippi-senate-historic-upset/ - News Cubby — "Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate, defeats Hyde-Smith" (November 11, 2026): https://www.newscubby.com/briefings/scott-colom-wins-mississippi-senate-hyde-smith-november-11-2026 - Biography Points — "Democrat Scott Colom Wins Mississippi Senate Race, Defeating Cindy Hyde-Smith in Historic Upset" (November 12, 2026): https://news.biographypoints.com/democrat-scott-colom-wins-mississippi-senate-race-defeating-cindy-hyde-smith-in-historic-upset - Omitted News — "Democrat Scott Colom Wins Mississippi Senate Seat in Historic Upset" (November 12, 2026): https://omitted.news/story/tight-mississippi-senate-race-remains-uncalled-after-midterms-ac5b13 - The ELLIS Insight — Senate (November 12, 2026): https://www.ellisinsight.com/senate/ - The Field — "2026 Midterm Results: Called Races and Open Counts" (November 11, 2026): https://thefieldreporters.com/midterms/ This video uses an AI-generated voice-over and an original script. The visuals are freely-licensed photos from Wikimedia Commons: Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson (CC BY-SA 4.0), downtown Jackson (CC BY-SA 4.0), and the United States Capitol (public domain). No footage, photos, or text were copied from news outlets. All figures were verified at build time on November 13, 2026. AI-generated content disclosure: YES. #Midterms2026 #Mississippi #ScottColom #SenateRace #USElection #SkylineWeather