Democrat Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate race in major upset, bringing party’s incoming majority to 55

Democrat Scott Colom has defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race, flipping a longtime GOP seat after more than a week of ballot counting and expanding the incoming Democratic majority to at least 55 seats.

The Associated Press called the race on the evening of Nov. 11. With roughly 99% of the vote reported, Colom had 49.2% to Hyde-Smith’s 48.7%, a lead of about 4,700 votes out of nearly a million counted. 

Colom, a 43-year-old district attorney, will be the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Mississippi since 1982. 

His victory marks the eighth Republican-held Senate seat Democrats flipped in the midterms. The result brings the incoming Democratic caucus, including independents who caucus with the party, to at least 55 seats, compared with Republicans’ 44. 

Alaska’s Senate race remains the only one undecided, with Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola narrowly leading Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. 

Hyde-Smith conceded Nov. 11, saying in a video statement that she had called Colom to congratulate him.

“While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” she said. “I want to congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state.”

The result follows days of uncertainty as officials counted absentee and provisional ballots. President Donald Trump carried Mississippi by nearly 23 percentage points in 2024.

Addressing supporters at a Nov. 11 victory event at Tougaloo College near Jackson, Colom emphasized his belief that he could win in the Republican stronghold. 

“All I did was have the courage to imagine a night like this,” he said. “I had the courage to believe in Mississippi. I had the courage to understand that we can show the country that Mississippi matters.”

Colom’s campaign platform focused on the cost of living and healthcare. He criticized tariffs and the Iran war, arguing that they raised prices for Mississippi families, and pledged to raise the minimum wage, restore Affordable Care Act tax credits, and reverse Medicaid cuts. He also called for a pause on new data center construction until companies agree to pay for their own power and water and commit in writing to hiring Mississippi workers.

Hyde-Smith, a Trump ally who sought her second full term, emphasized support for Trump’s agenda and the U.S.’s relationship with Israel. Her campaign priorities included lowering taxes, stopping illegal immigration, supporting the military, and protecting unborn children.