Scott Colom could become Mississippi's first Black senator since Reconstruction as vote count continues

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 ballot counting continues, with the potential to become the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction. The contest against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith remains too early to call, with counties tallying absentee and affidavit ballots ahead of certification deadlines next week. Colom says ballots counted since Tuesday lean in his favor, while Hyde-Smith has not appeared publicly since election night. Black Mississippians, who make up nearly 40% of the population, express cautious optimism about the possibility of proportional representation. Democrats already control the Senate, but a Colom win would mark a seismic shift in a state dominated by white conservatives for nearly 150 years.