Dems Officially Flip Mississippi Senate Seat, GOP's Hyde-Smith Concedes Race
Democrats have officially flipped Mississippi’s Senate seat, bringing their total Senate seat count for the next Congress to 55.
CNN reported early Wednesday evening that Democratic challenger Scott Colom had, according to their projections, defeated incumbent Mississippi Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in the 2026 midterm elections.
About an hour after CNN’s announcement, Hyde-Smith posted a video to social media formally conceding defeat to Colom.
“Over the past week, our campaign has worked tirelessly to ensure every legally cast vote was counted and that the people of Mississippi received a fair and transparent election,” she said in the video.
“While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” Hyde-Smith added.
She concluded her statement by congratulating Colom on his upset victory.
“I want to congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state,” she said.
Thank you, Mississippi. https://t.co/DtNPffutPu
— Cindy Hyde-Smith (@cindyhydesmith) November 11, 2026
Hyde-Smith was the first woman to be elected to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate and in Congress, as detailed on her website.
The website noted that she was initially appointed to the U.S. Senate in April 2018 following the resignation of former Sen. Thad Cochran.
The now-outgoing member of Congress subsequently won a special election later that year and a full six-year term in November 2020, making her the first woman ever elected from Mississippi to the U.S. Congress.
Conversely, Colom will now become the first black member of the Senate from Mississippi since the Reconstruction Era, according to The Hill.
Colom responded to his victory during a speech late Wednesday at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi.
“Throughout this campaign, there were many times where I had to have faith,” he said, according to CBS News. “There were times that I couldn’t get donors to answer the phone. They did not believe a moment like this was possible, but I kept the faith.”
“I did my first town hall in Jackson, Mississippi… Less than 10 people showed up, but I kept the faith,” he added.
The moment Democratic Senator-elect Scott Colom took the stage at his victory party at Tougaloo College https://t.co/05IxOvgr86
— Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) November 12, 2026
Hyde-Smith and Colom knew each other before this recent election.
In 2023, Hyde-Smith blocked Colom’s lifetime appointment to a federal district court on account of his radical views.
“As someone with a strong interest in protecting the rights of girls and women, I am concerned about Scott Colom’s opposition to legislation to protect female athletes,” she said at the time, according to The Advocate.
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She also cited the “significant support” that Colom had “received from” leftist billionaire George Soros.
Meanwhile, during the 2026 campaign, Hyde-Smith’s allies similarly attacked Colom for being “soft on crime” in his former role as district attorney for Mississippi’s 16th Judicial District.
However, Colom pushed back by running ads proclaiming himself to be tough on crime like President Donald Trump.
Scott Colom was elected DA running on tough on crime. Here’s his ad reminding voters that he put a man in prison for life without parole for murder. Then he launched his campaign for Senate with shots of him standing with cops and touting his conviction rate. https://t.co/wmOssekfNp
— Lee Fang (@lhfang) November 6, 2026
According to CBS News, the race between Hyde-Smith and Colom “appeared extremely close the day after the election, when at one point just a few dozen votes separated the candidates.”
That soon changed as “Colom’s lead strengthened in the days that followed.”
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