Credit, Getty Images
Democrat Scott Colom won the Mississippi Senate election, scoring a surprise victory for the party in a deeply conservative state that has elected Republicans for decades.
Colom's victory makes him the first black man to be elected senator from Mississippi in more than 140 years. He is also the first Democrat to be elected to office in the state since 1982.
Just a few thousand votes separated Colom from her Republican opponent, then-Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.
The margin was so tight that the election result could only be declared more than a week after voting day, as local officials tallied every vote.
Colon won with 49.2% of the vote, while Hyde-Smith had 48.7%. An independent candidate obtained 2.1%, according to data from CBS (BBC partner in the USA).
Hyde-Smith congratulated Colom in a video posted on the social network X on Wednesday night (11/11) and wished him good luck.
“While this was not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” she said.
As a result, the Democratic majority in the Senate is now 55 seats — and a tight race in Alaska remains undecided.
End of Most read
Watch news from Brazil and the world on the BBC World Service
Download here
End of app promotion
The election in Mississippi was not seen as close. Hyde-Smith ran for re-election in a state that Republican President Donald Trump won in the 2024 election by more than 22 percentage points.
But Democrats won a series of important victories in these midterm elections, taking control of both the House and the Senate.
The party won Senate seats in several Republican strongholds, including Texas, South Carolina and Kansas.
Polls suggest this was largely due to voter frustration with the economy and the war with Iran that began under the Trump administration.
Dozens of people were gathered at the headquarters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People when Colom's victory was announced.
The room erupted in applause and cheers.
"This is an incredible result," said Leon Russell, chairman of the NAACP board.
"It's work that was done exclusively by the black community. There wasn't a lot of money, but there was a lot of organization."
"This is a historic election."
Across the room, filled with people clapping and exchanging long, warm hugs, Amber Thomas sat, rejoicing in victory.
“He who fights, wins,” said Thomas.
"Right now, I'm overflowing with joy."
Colom, a local prosecutor, appeared to ride the national wave of resentment toward Republicans, dubbing his opponent "Cindy High Prices."
The Democrat ran an aggressive campaign, visiting all 82 Mississippi counties.
The Hyde-Smith campaign attacked Colom, accusing him of being a puppet of billionaire George Soros, whose family helped finance Democratic political campaigns.
The Republican was criticized for her lack of public appearances.
Discover more
Watch
End of Watch
