# Mississippi Elects First Black Senator Since Reconstruction in Deep-Red State

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/mississippi-elects-first-black-senator-since-reconstruction-in-deep-red-state
- Published: 2026-11-13T14:08:43.412685+00:00
- Topics: mississippi, senate-election, race-and-politics, 2026-midterms, democratic-party

## What the left says
- Colom's win represents the culmination of decades of voting rights organizing in Mississippi, where Black residents were historically driven out or stripped of political power through violence and disenfranchisement after Reconstruction.
- His victory speech at Tougaloo College, near the site of Medgar Evers's assassination, symbolically connects this win to the civil rights movement's long struggle for political representation.
- The campaign's grassroots organizing and voter turnout gains across 75 of Mississippi's 82 counties suggest Democrats can build durable coalitions in the Deep South rather than relying on a single-cycle fluke.
- Colom's win reinforces Black voters as a crucial pillar of the Democratic coalition after signs in 2024 suggested some erosion of that support.

## What the right says
- Colom ran as a self-described 'commonsense Democrat' who praised Trump's border policies and broke with his party on issues like transgender participation in women's sports, suggesting his win reflects a moderate, not progressive, appeal.
- Hyde-Smith's loss followed a self-inflicted campaign stumble over beef prices that went viral, along with being significantly outspent on television advertising in the race's final stretch.
- Trump carried Mississippi by 23 points in 2024, and many conservatives view this result as a product of unique local circumstances and late Democratic spending rather than a lasting partisan realignment.
- Hyde-Smith conceded gracefully and emphasized that her campaign worked to ensure a fair and transparent election amid concerns raised about a voter roll purge.

## Common ground
- Scott Colom defeated incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in a race that took over a week to call due to its closeness.
- This is the first time Mississippi has elected a Black senator since the Reconstruction era and the first Democratic senator from the state since 1982.
- The race was significantly shaped by a viral campaign ad mocking Hyde-Smith's comments about beef prices and proteins.
- The win brings the Democratic Senate caucus to 55 seats, marking the eighth seat Democrats flipped this election cycle.

## Sources
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-11-12-0800/2026-midterm-elections-democrat-scott-colom-makes-history-mississippis-first-black-senator-19th-century) (Center)
- [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/11/12/scott-colom-mississippi-senate-black-representation) (Lean Left)
- [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/11/11/mississippi-ms-senate-scott-colom-cindy-hyde-smith) (Lean Left)
- [Democracy Now](http://www.democracynow.org/2026/11/12/scott_colom_victory_speech) (Left)
- [HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrat-scott-colom-defeats-cindy-hyde-smith-mississippi-senate_n_6aeb6b09e4b0dcee62e2001c) (Left)
- [Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion](https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/11/democrat-scott-colom-flips-mississippi-senate-seat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=democrat-scott-colom-flips-mississippi-senate-seat) (Unknown)
- [Politico](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/11/11/scott-colom-wins-mississippi-senate-01161555) (Lean Left)
- [The Guardian US](https://www.theguardian.com/news/video/2026/nov/12/mississippi-makes-history-with-democrat-scott-coloms-senate-win-the-latest) (Left)
- [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/11/11/democrat-scott-colom-wins-mississippi-senate-race/) (Lean Left)

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