# ‘I had the courage to believe in Mississippi’ says Scott Colom after historic Senate win – US politics live

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/i-had-the-courage-to-believe-in-mississippi-says-scott-colom-after-historic-senate-win-us-politics-live/
- Published: 2026-11-12T12:19:55+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T12:33:29+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/nov/12/mississippi-scott-colom-ukraine-donald-trump
- Topics: Americas, Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Scott Colom defeats Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s Senate race.
- He becomes the state’s first Black senator since Reconstruction.
- The result adds to Democratic gains in the midterms.

## Summary

Scott Colom has won Mississippi’s closely contested Senate race, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith and adding to Democratic gains in this year’s midterm elections. His victory is historic: he will be the state’s first Black senator since the Reconstruction era, and his win marks a breakthrough for Democrats in a traditionally Republican state.

The Associated Press called the race after absentee and provisional ballots were counted, just over a week after the election. Colom said he had the courage to believe Mississippi could show the country that it matters; Hyde-Smith said she respected voters’ decision, though it was not the outcome she had hoped for. The live blog also reports on US envoys travelling to Moscow for Ukraine talks and a military guard admonishing Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.