Mississippi Senate Race Could Make Scott Colom First Black Senator Since Reconstruction

Mississippi is still counting ballots in a U.S. Senate race that could make Democrat Scott Colom the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction, though the outcome remains too early to call. The 43-year-old prosecutor has drawn historic attention as he awaits results. Colom holds a slight lead over Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, with outstanding absentee and affidavit ballots being reviewed across 82 counties before deadlines next week. Hyde-Smith has not appeared publicly since election night, while Colom says counted ballots lean in his favor. A Colom win would not shift Senate control, as Democrats already hold the majority, but it would mark a major change in a state where white conservatives have dominated representation for nearly 150 years. Black Mississippians, about 40% of the population, express cautious optimism about the historic possibility.