Scott Colom elected as the state’s first black senator since the 19th century
Politics & Governance
CNN’s Annie Grayer reports from a Tougaloo College, a historically Black college in Jackson, Mississippi, where voters celebrated Scott Colom’s US Senate victory. Colom is the first Black person elected to statewide office in Mississippi since the Reconstruction era.
The Democratic candidate won in a southern state that had not seated a black senator since 1874.
In a state that hasn't had a Democrat in office since 1980 and hasn't sent a Black senator to Washington since the 1870s, Colom's win represents a massive upset in state politics.
Mississippi. In the Senate election held in the American state of Mississippi, Democratic Party's Scott Colom has won. This result has proven to be a big upset in this conservative state where the ...
After more than a week of counting ballots, Scott Colom has narrowly won the Mississippi Senate seat. And, the White House has sent a letter warning Democrats who plan to investigate the administration.
Senator-elect Scott Colom's win in Mississippi is a history-making political upset. He's not only the first Democrat to win a senate seat in the state since 1982 but he'll also be the state's first Black U.S. senator since the 1870s. This episode was produced by Jason Fuller and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. Our director is Jonas Adams. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Courtney Dorning.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Colom's victory makes him the first black person from the state to be elected to the US Senate in more than 140 years.
In a state that hasn't had a Democrat in office since 1980 and hasn't sent a Black Senator to Washington since the 1870s, Colom's win represents a massive upset in state politics.
Across the South, Black women voters helped usher in a slew of new Democratic officeholders this year in addition to Mississippi Sen.-elect Scott Colom. They powered Keisha Lance Bottoms to a history-making win as Georgia’s first Black governor alongside a slate of Black women who will hold key state offices. They also backed successful Democratic candidates in GOP strongholds, including South Carolina and Texas, by lopsided margins.
Democrat Scott Colom’s win in the Mississippi Senate race means the 2026 battle for the Senate is nearing a conclusion — and similarly to the House wins, it’s looking like a historic finish for Democrats.
Democrat Scott Colom will be the next US senator for Mississippi, flipping a traditionally deep red state and becoming the first black man to hold that office since the Reconstruction more than 150 years ago.
Politics & Governance
CNN’s Jake Tapper explains why Scott Colom’s win in deep-red Mississippi is so historic.
Politics & Governance
Senator-elect Scott Colom owes part of his political edge to growing up as an identical twin, according to his twin brother Andrew. Among Senate Democrats, the Mississippi senator will be the fourth with an identical twin. Andrew Colom tells CNN’s Erin Burnett: “It kinda helps Scott know how to stand out because he was used to getting a lot of attention for being a twin.”
Democrat Scott Colom will be the next US senator for Mississippi, flipping a traditionally deep red state and becoming the first black man to hold that office since the Reconstruction more than 150 years ago.
Politics & Governance
Democrat Scott Colom addressed a crowd of supporters after his historic projected win in Mississippi’s Senate race.
Democrat Scott Colom's razor-thin advantage has defied political gravity in a conservative fortress that President Donald Trump won in 2024 by over 22 points.