Democrat Scott Colom leads Mississippi Senate race, threatening Republican stronghold

Democrat Scott Colom is leading in Mississippi's Senate race, a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982, potentially delivering Republicans a bigger shock than their losses in Texas. The race is extremely close, with Colom holding a 1,813-vote lead over Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. Colom's campaign capitalized on economic hardship from President Donald Trump's tariffs and war on Iran, as well as frustration over the Maga movement's institutionalized racism. Voters cited diverted funds from Black communities and the removal of Black history from school textbooks as key issues in the state, where Black residents make up nearly two-fifths of the population. Colom, who became the first Black district attorney in a White-majority district in 2015, is on the brink of making history again. If Democrats also win Alaska's Senate race, they could secure as many as 56 Senate seats.