Mississippi voted blue, in a shock win for Democrats.

Democrat Scott Colom ousted Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in a state that went for President Donald Trump by 23 points in 2024. He will be the first Black senator elected in Mississippi since the Reconstruction era — and the first Democrat from the state headed to the Senate in 44 years.

Colom, a Democratic district attorney, ran a scrappy campaign that saw some national money and resources in the final stretch of the race.

Hyde-Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 and had since won election to the seat twice, but she faced attacks from Colom that she was out of touch and indifferent to rising grocery and gas prices during Trump’s second term.

National Democratic groups hadn’t paid much attention to the Mississippi Senate race until an October surge of excitement for Colom drew late spending and attention.

Colom’s win is a boost to the Democratic Party as it seeks to gain a larger foothold in the South and improve their standing with Black voters. It’s also a major vindication for Colom and other Southern Democrats who argued Mississippi had been neglected for far too long.

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