Democrat Scott Colom won election to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. Colom is the first Black candidate to represent the state in the Senate in approximately 150 years, following the terms of Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce in the late 19th century.
The results were finalized more than a week after Election Day as officials in Hinds County processed remaining affidavit ballots. On the night of Wednesday, November 11, Hyde-Smith released a video statement conceding the race and congratulating Colom. Associated Press unofficial results showed Colom leading by more than 5,000 votes with 99 percent of ballots counted.
Affidavit ballots, cast by voters without identification or those with inactive registrations, were central to the final tally. In Hinds County, 2,426 such ballots were cast; officials rejected 1,609, while the majority of those accepted were for Colom. Mississippi law does not include a recount provision for Senate elections.
The election took place in a state with specific voting regulations, including a lack of early in-person voting and no universal mail-in voting. Additionally, a state law bans individuals with certain felony convictions from voting for life, a policy that Fair Fight reports disenfranchises nearly 70,000 residents.
The election of Scott Colom changes the state's representation in the U.S. Senate for the first time since Hyde-Smith took office. Nationally, the victory impacts the balance of power in Congress, as Democrats are now projected to hold at least 55 seats in the Senate and more than 255 seats in the House of Representatives. This majority is expected to influence the final two years of the Trump administration.
For the individual voter in Mississippi, the outcome follows a process where 230,000 residents had been moved to inactive status, according to Fair Fight. These individuals and others without standard identification had to navigate the affidavit ballot process to have their votes counted. The win also marks a shift in Mississippi’s congressional delegation, which had previously only featured one Democrat, Rep. Bennie Thompson, since 2011. Thompson stated the change will lead to a focus on health care access, public education, and rural economic opportunities.
The victory marks the first time a Black senator has been elected from Mississippi since the Reconstruction era. Colom, who was previously a prosecutor and judge, was nominated by Joe Biden to a federal judgeship in 2022, but the nomination was blocked by Hyde-Smith. While Colom’s win is projected by major outlets and his opponent has conceded, official certification will follow the completion of the count. Following the results in Mississippi and Alaska, the focus of the new Congress will shift to the start of the next legislative session in January.
Mississippi election officials and the Associated Press provided the vote counts and projections. Fair Fight provided the data on disenfranchised voters and inactive registrations. Rep. Bennie Thompson and former Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith provided statements on the outcome.