Scott Colom wins Senate election in Mississippi

Democrat Scott Colom defeated Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s closely contested US Senate election, after officials spent several days counting ballots. His win makes him the state’s first Black US senator since Reconstruction and marks a major political shift in a state long dominated by white conservatives.

The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday after absentee and provisional ballots were processed. Colom, a 43-year-old local prosecutor, campaigned on economic concerns and argued Hyde-Smith was ineffective in Washington; her response to high beef prices also drew criticism. The result adds to Republican losses in the midterms and may strengthen Democrats’ case for competing in the South.