In a stunning upset, Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith conceded the Mississippi Senate race to Democrat Scott Colom on Wednesday, flipping a seat that has been in GOP hands for decades. The concession marks a major victory for Democrats in the deep-red state and further expands their Senate majority.
"While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters," Hyde-Smith said in a video posted to social media. "I want to congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state."
Colom, a district attorney, will become the first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction. His victory was projected by Decision Desk HQ shortly after Hyde-Smith's concession, with Colom holding 49.18% of the vote to Hyde-Smith's 48.72% with 95% of ballots counted.
The race remained too close to call for days after the election, but Democrats expressed confidence as final tallies came in. "I am very happy with where we stand. I'm confident once the process plays out, where we are, where the ballots are, we're going to win," Colom told reporters on the Wednesday after Election Day.
Hyde-Smith, who was endorsed by former President Trump, had been favored to win a second term. However, Colom's campaign focused heavily on Black voters, who make up the largest share of the state's population, and tapped into frustration over rising costs and Trump's sinking approval ratings.
The victory is part of a broader Democratic wave that saw the party flip Senate seats in Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, Iowa, and Ohio. The Alaska Senate race remains uncalled, but Democrat Mary Peltola has pulled ahead of Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Colom's path to the Senate was not without friction. In 2023, Hyde-Smith blocked his lifetime appointment to a federal district court, a move that Colom said likely pushed him to run for Congress. "We've been gifted an opportunity," Colom told The Associated Press in October, citing the political climate and the strong base of Black voters.
The race could still face legal challenges. There is no automatic recount provision in Mississippi, and Hyde-Smith's narrow loss may prompt Republican lawyers to contest the results. The Senate GOP's campaign arm has already demanded that election officials preserve records and provisional ballots, a move Colom's lawyers called "unlawful."
National Democrats rallied behind Colom, with former President Obama endorsing him and former Vice President Harris campaigning on his behalf. Trump visited Mississippi in the final days to boost Hyde-Smith, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Democratic surge.
Hyde-Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 after Thad Cochran's resignation and won a full term in 2020 by about 10 points. Her concession underscores the shifting political landscape in a state long considered a Republican stronghold.
