Scott Colom Could Become Mississippi's First Black Senator Since Reconstruction

Democrat Scott Colom has not yet won Mississippi's U.S. Senate race, but the local prosecutor is being hailed as a historic figure as vote counting continues. He could become the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction. The contest remains too early to call, with officials in Mississippi's 82 counties examining absentee and affidavit ballots before deadlines next week. Colom says ballots tallied since Tuesday lean in his favor, while Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith has not appeared publicly since election night. Democrats already control the Senate, so the result won't change Washington's balance of power, but it would mark a seismic shift in Mississippi, where white conservatives have dominated for nearly 150 years. Colom's campaign ended with an ad at Medgar Evers' home.