Mississippi Vote Count Could Make Scott Colom First Black Senator Since Reconstruction

Mississippi's ballot count could make Democrat Scott Colom the state's first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction, though the race remains too early to call. Colom, a 43-year-old local prosecutor, leads Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by a razor-thin margin as counties process absentee and affidavit ballots by Tuesday. Hyde-Smith has not appeared publicly since election night, while Colom urged patience and confidence in local officials. Democrats already control the Senate, so the outcome won't shift Washington's balance of power, but it would mark a historic change in a state where nearly 40% of residents are Black yet white conservatives have dominated representation for generations.