politics

Colom, 43, took 49.2 percent of the vote, according to figures from CBS

Excitement filled the air as Colom thanked supporters who had waited with him for the count to be settled.

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Key facts

  • Colom, 43, took 49.2 percent of the vote, according to figures from CBS. Hyde-Smith received 48.7 percent, and an independent candidate got 2.1 percent.
  • Excitement filled the air as Colom thanked supporters who had waited with him for the count to be settled.
  • The Democrat campaigned aggressively, visiting all of Mississippi's 82 counties.

Colom, 43, took 49.2 percent of the vote, according to figures from CBS. Hyde-Smith received 48.7 percent, and an independent candidate got 2.1 percent.

Excitement filled the air as Colom thanked supporters who had waited with him for the count to be settled.

"They did not believe a moment like this was possible, but I kept the faith,"Colom said.

The Democrat campaigned aggressively, visiting all of Mississippi's 82 counties.

He appeared to ride a national wave of resentment against Republicans.

Hyde-Smith congratulated Colom in a video posted on X on Wednesday evening and wished him well.

Dig deeper

Who is Colom?

Scott Colom is a Democratic district attorney from Mississippi’s 16th circuit, based around Columbus, who challenged Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith statewide.

Who is Hyde-Smith?

Cindy Hyde-Smith is Mississippi’s Republican U.S. senator, first appointed in 2018 and elected later that year, whom Colom narrowly led in this count.

Why does visiting all 82 counties matter?

Mississippi has 82 counties, so a full-state tour is a standard way for a statewide candidate to court voters beyond the Jackson area and the Gulf Coast.

Why does this result matter?

A Democratic win would flip a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in a deeply conservative state and narrow the GOP’s advantage in Washington.

What happens next?

With Hyde-Smith already conceding in a video on X, the next step is the formal certification of the statewide result.

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