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Before Scott Colom, these two men were the last black US senators in Mississippi

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BBC News. (2026, November 12). Before Scott Colom, these two men were the last black US senators in Mississippi. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmde1y19g19do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

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BBC News · collected 2026-11-12 · by BBC News

Quick Summary

Democrat Scott Colom won a close election to become Mississippi's first black U.S. senator in over 150 years, joining Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce as the only three black senators in the state's history. The report highlights that Mississippi had not seated a black senator since 1875 and has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. This piece focuses on the historic nature of Colom's victory, which was driven by high turnout among the state's large black population and young voters.
Written by AI on 2026-11-14, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).
See how they differ ↓

AI analysis

Story summary

Democrat Scott Colom has won a historic election to become Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. The Associated Press called the race on November 12, 2026, after a narrow contest against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. During the count, the margin between the two candidates was reported as less than 30 ballots with 97% of the votes tallied, and both candidates held roughly 48.9 percent of the vote at that stage. The race was described as a "knife-edge" contest that required several days of processing absentee and provisional ballots. Hyde-Smith conceded the race shortly after the call was made. Colom, who serves as the district attorney for the 16th Judicial District of Mississippi, won the seat despite a deep red political environment. His victory contributed to a Democratic majority of at least 55 seats in the U.S. Senate.

Written for “Scott Colom's Senate win” on 2026-11-14, grounded in this article and the 100 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.
No political leaning scored for article 148155 · logged 2026-11-14

How they differ

29 outlets covered “Scott Colom's Senate win”.

What each outlet says

One AI summary per outlet of its latest article on this story, written from that article alone and checked against it. Open the article for the outlet's own words.

BBCThis outlet12 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom won a close election to become Mississippi's first black U.S. senator in over 150 years, joining Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce as the only three black senators in the state's history. The report highlights that Mississippi had not seated a black senator since 1875 and has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. This piece focuses on the historic nature of Colom's victory, which was driven…

Before Scott Colom, these two men were the last black US senators in Mississippi (this article)3 articles from BBC on this story
CBS News13 Nov

CBS News projects that Democrat Scott Colom will defeat Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith to become Mississippi's first Black senator since the 1800s. The report features an interview with Charles Taylor, the executive director of the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP, who discusses the historical significance of this potential win. The piece focuses on the symbolic and political implications of the seat…

NAACP official on Mississippi electing Scott Colom as its first Black senator since the 1800s →16 articles from CBS News on this story
The Guardian13 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom became Mississippi’s first Black senator since the Reconstruction era after defeating incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in a midterm election. His victory helped secure at least 55 seats for the Democratic party, marking the party's largest midterm gains since 1986. This article explores the historical significance of the win through the personal accounts of diverse voters who view Colom's…

Across racial lines, Mississippians celebrate Scott Colom’s historic election: ‘The times they are a-changin’ →11 articles from The Guardian on this story
Just the News11 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom has been declared the winner of a Mississippi Senate seat more than a week after Election Day. With 99% of votes counted, Colom leads incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by a narrow margin of 49.2% to 48.7%. The Associated Press officially called the race for Colom at 5:58 p.m. ET. This makes Colom Mississippi’s first Black senator since the Reconstruction era following the Civil War.

Scott Colom declared winner of Mississippi Senate seat →9 articles from Just the News on this story
NPR12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat, has won the U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by a narrow margin. Colom's victory makes him the first Black senator from Mississippi in nearly 150 years and expands the Democratic majority to 55 seats in the new Congress. The article also notes the White House's warning to Democrats about potential future investigations into administration…

Colom wins Mississippi Senate race. And, White House warns Dems over future probes →6 articles from NPR on this story
Washington Examiner12 Nov

District attorney Scott Colom unseated incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in a 2026 midterm election, ending over four decades of Democratic losses in Mississippi's Senate races. Colom narrowly won the seat after his campaign gained national attention through unconventional advertisements, specifically a viral spot mocking the incumbent's comments on beef prices. The piece analyzes how these viral ads helped the…

Who is Scott Colom, and how did his viral ads help secure Mississippi Senate stunner? →6 articles from Washington Examiner on this story
Show 23 more outlets
ABC News (US)12 Nov

Scott Colom's victory in Mississippi’s Senate race marks the first time a Black person has been directly elected to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi. Colom’s win challenges longstanding assumptions about Mississippi’s predictable political landscape, which had excluded Black voters for generations through discriminatory policies. The article analyzes whether Colom’s success can inspire a broader coalition of voters…

Colom’s historic Senate win could reshape Mississippi’s political future: Analysis →5 articles from ABC News (US) on this story
NBC News12 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom defeated incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in the Mississippi U.S. Senate race. This victory makes Colom the state’s first Black senator elected since Reconstruction and its first Democratic senator in nearly 45 years. The report focuses on the historic nature of the election results for the state of Mississippi.

Mississippi Elects First Black Senator in More Than 140 Years →5 articles from NBC News on this story
Al Jazeera13 Nov

Mississippi has elected Scott Colom as its first Black senator since 1881. This election represents a historic milestone for a state that activists note has practiced segregation and voter suppression for decades. The report highlights the significance of the win as a long-awaited shift in the state's political representation.

Mississippi elects first black senator in nearly 150 years →5 articles from Al Jazeera on this story
Toronto Star13 Nov

President Trump praised Mississippi's newly elected Senator Scott Colom during a rally, acknowledging Colom's efforts to court MAGA supporters in the final days before the midterm elections. This was unusual, as Trump had previously criticized Colom as a “Marxist radical” and a “shameless phony” when campaigning for Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi.

Trump praises Democrat Scott Colom for showing up to Mississippi rally and courting MAGA supporters →4 articles from Toronto Star on this story
Fox News11 Nov

In Mississippi's Senate race, Democrat Scott Colom is projected to defeat incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, who had strong backing from President Trump and the Senate Leadership Fund. The victory marks a significant shift in what was once considered a reliably red state, contributing to Democrats' control of the U.S. Senate with 55 seats compared to Republicans' 44.

Dems projected to score historic upset in deep-red Mississippi, topple Trump ally Hyde-Smith →3 articles from Fox News on this story
Time12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democratic challenger and district attorney from Mississippi’s 16th Judicial District, narrowly won the state’s Senate election against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith on November 8, 2026. With 49.2% of the vote compared to Hyde-Smith's 48.7%, Colom secured victory over a week after Election Day, becoming Mississippi’s first Black senator since 1874 and its first Democratic senator since 1982…

Scott Colom Wins Nail-Biter Mississippi Race, Becoming State's First Democratic Senator-Elect Since 1982 →3 articles from Time on this story
The Daily Wire12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat, defeated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's Senate race, according to projections from The Associated Press and CNN on Wednesday. This historic upset marks the first time since 1982 that a Democrat has won a Senate seat in Mississippi, making Colom also the state’s first black senator elected by voters directly since Reconstruction. Colom's victory comes despite Mississippi…

Democrat Scott Colom Flips Mississippi Senate Seat In Historic Upset →3 articles from The Daily Wire on this story
The Straits Times12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's U.S. Senate race on November 11, becoming the first Black senator from Mississippi since 1874. This victory marked a significant upset for Democrats and contributed to their overall gains in the midterm elections, giving them a 55-44 advantage in the Senate. Colom’s campaign focused on rising living costs and voter frustration…

Democrat Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat, becomes state's first Black senator since 1874 →3 articles from The Straits Times on this story
Daily Mail11 Nov

In the recent midterm elections, Democrat Scott Colom won Mississippi's Senate seat, flipping it blue for the first time in 44 years, defeating incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by just 4,669 votes. The historic victory came despite Hyde-Smith being backed by President Trump and her previous win with a seven-point margin. Colom capitalized on voter dissatisfaction with economic issues and Hyde-Smith's gaffes…

Trump suffers another humiliating blow in midterms disaster as Democrat Scott Colom makes historic win and flips Mississippi's Senate seat blue for the first time in four decades →2 articles from Daily Mail on this story
Mother Jones11 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat, has become Mississippi's first Black US senator since Reconstruction after winning a surprising upset victory. This historic win comes from a state with a deeply troubling past of racial violence and repression during the Jim Crow era. Colom’s success is attributed to significant voter turnout by Black Mississippians who were motivated to protect voting rights following the Supreme Court’s…

Mississippi, Once the Epicenter of Jim Crow, Elects Its First Black Senator Since Reconstruction →2 articles from Mother Jones on this story
Semafor5 Nov

Democrats are intensifying their efforts to secure Scott Colom’s lead over Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi after the vote count showed Colom ahead by 1,724 votes. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and legal experts like Elias Law Group have joined Colom’s campaign, observing the tally across various counties while Republican groups request preservation of provisional ballots…

Democrats flock to Mississippi amid Senate vote tally →2 articles from Semafor on this story
The Independent13 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom will become Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction after winning a tight race against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Following the win, President Donald Trump offered rare public praise for Colom's "chutzpah" in showing up at a previous rally in Corinth, Mississippi, to mingle with staunch "Make America Great Again" supporters. The report highlights the…

Trump heaps surprise praise on Democrat Scott Colom after his historic Mississippi Senate upset →2 articles from The Independent on this story
New York Post11 Nov

Scott Colom defeated incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's Senate election after a week-long count, securing 49.2% of the vote compared to Hyde-Smith’s 48.7%. The race was extremely close, with less than 5,000 votes separating them when more than 95% of ballots were tallied. Colom becomes the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Mississippi since 1982, marking it as part of a broader trend…

Dem Scott Colom defeats Mississippi Sen. Hyde-Smith after weeklong nailbiter →
Sydney Morning Herald11 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat, won the Senate race in Mississippi, defeating incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith and becoming the first black man elected to the US Senate there since Reconstruction ended over 150 years ago. The Associated Press declared Colom the winner on Wednesday evening local time. This victory adds to Democrats' national gains, increasing their total in the Senate to 55 seats. Colom's campaign…

History made as black Democrat wins Senate race in deep red Mississippi →
CBC11 Nov

Scott Colom secured a U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in a midterm election. Colom is set to become Mississippi's first Black senator since Reconstruction times and has provided Democrats with an unexpected win towards their goal of controlling the Senate. As a local prosecutor, Colom capitalized on national political trends and demographics within Mississippi that…

Mississippi's Scott Colom secures Senate seat, notching another midterm win for Democrats →
The Hindu12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat and local prosecutor, has been elected as Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction, defeating incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith after a weeks-long ballot-counting process. The election marks a significant political shift in the predominantly conservative state, occurring during a national midterm election cycle that saw several Democratic victories across…

Mississippi elects Democrat Scott Colom as state's first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction →
Daily Caller12 Nov

Scott Colom won a Mississippi Senate seat with 49.19% of the vote against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith who received 48.71%, according to the Associated Press on Wednesday. This marks the first time since 1989 that a Democrat will represent Mississippi in the Senate. The race was closely watched, particularly due to Colom's viral campaign ad criticizing Hyde-Smith’s comments about beef prices.

Democrat Scott Colom Wins Mississippi Senate Seat →
Toronto Sun12 Nov

Scott Colom, a Democrat and 43-year-old district attorney, won Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in an unexpected upset on November 8. This victory marks the first time an African American has been elected to the Senate from Mississippi since Reconstruction over 140 years ago. The win contributes to Democrats flipping eight traditionally Republican-held seats nationwide…

Mississippi Democrat flips U.S. Senate seat in stunning upset →
Dawn12 Nov

In a historic upset, Democrat Scott Colom won the U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith after 140 years of continuous Republican control. The race was called on November 8th by major networks based on a narrow margin of just 4,585 votes out of nearly 2 million cast. This victory contributed to Democrats reclaiming the majority in both chambers of Congress, marking a…

Mississippi Democrat flips US Senate seat in stunning upset after 140 years →
Euronews12 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom won a historic victory in the US Senate race in Mississippi, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith with a margin of fewer than 5,000 votes. This marks the first time a Black senator has been elected from Mississippi since before the Civil War and makes Colom the first Democratic senator to represent the state in nearly four decades. The win is part of a broader midterm election trend…

Democrat Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat in historic upset →
Zeteo12 Nov

The article discusses a potential challenge to Hakeem Jeffries for the position of House Speaker from Representative Ayanna Pressley. Pressley's actions, including launching a petition to demonstrate public support for her progressive agenda, suggest she may pose a significant challenge to Jeffries. The petition emphasizes issues such as Medicare for All, abortion protections, and the abolition of ICE, indicating a…

Is Ayanna Pressley About to Challenge Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker? →
Letters from an American13 Nov

Democrat Scott Colom, the district attorney for Mississippi's 16th Judicial District, was declared the winner of the U.S. Senate race after Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith conceded the seat. Colom becomes the third Black senator from Mississippi and the first ever elected directly by the people, following Hiram R. Revels and Blanche K. Bruce who were appointed by the state legislature in 1870 and 1874…

November 12, 2026 →

Where they agree and split

Agreed

AI · cited, from two or more outlets

  • The Senate race in Mississippi is within a margin of a few dozen votes.14
  • Mississippi lacks a formal recount process.14
Quoted from the coverage (4)

Although a race this close would automatically trigger a recount in some states, Mississippi has no law on the books for initiating a recount.

7 outlets

The latest win, called Wednesday by U.S. news outlets that included CNN, NBC and CBS, will give Democrats 55 seats in the 100-member Senate with 44 for Republicans and one race — in Alaska — still outstanding.

7 outlets

Hiram Revels, also a Republican, became the first black U.S. senator in American history when Mississippi sent him to Washington in 1870.

7 outlets

President Trump carried the state by 23 points in 2024 and Hyde-Smith won her last race by seven points.

6 outlets

Framing

How the first headlines put it

Stated as fact9
The headlines (9)

Mississippi Senate race at razor thin margin as vote count continues CBS News · stated as fact

Deep red Mississippi on a knife-edge as Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith fails to seal the deal Daily Mail · stated as fact

Votes are still being counted to see who will represent Mississippi in the Senate NPR · stated as fact

What Senate races are left to be decided Washington Examiner · stated as fact

Newsom solicits cash as Biden’s former election lawyer mobilizes legal team for Mississippi Senate race Fox News · stated as fact

What to know about recounts in Mississippi with razor-thin margin in Senate race ABC News · stated as fact

Mississippi’s Unbelievable Blue Turn Mother Jones · stated as fact

Mississippi Senate race heads to an extended vote count and possible ballot battle NBC News · stated as fact

How the Mississippi Senate Race Became a Nail-Biter Time · stated as fact

Words to watch (2)

Democrat Scott Colom unseats Cindy Hyde-Smith in shocking Mississippi Senate win The Guardian

Trump suffers another humiliating blow in midterms disaster as Democrat Scott Colom makes historic win and flips Mississippi's Senate seat blue for the first time in four decades Daily Mail

The full story: what happened, how it changed, and all 101 articles →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Al Jazeera
Leans left Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 60/100
The Guardian
Leans left Hedges 0 of 5 claims Outlet record 65/100
The Guardian
Leans left Hedges 0 of 4 claims Outlet record 65/100
CBS News
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 68/100
CBS News
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 68/100
“While both articles discuss Scott Colom's victory in the Mississippi Senate race, Article A focuses on the historical context and significance of his election, while Article B reports on the actual election result and outcome.”
Mother Jones
Hedges 3 of 66 claims Outlet record 60/100
“Article A describes the specific election and victory of Scott Colom, while Article B focuses on the historical context and the fact that Colom is the third Black US senator in Mississippi's history, not the same specific event.”
Euronews
Leans left Hedges 2 of 30 claims Outlet record 60/100
“Article A reports on the specific election result of Scott Colom winning the Mississippi Senate seat, while Article B provides historical context about previous black US senators in Mississippi.”
The Straits Times
Leans left Hedges 0 of 12 claims Outlet record 64/100
“Article A reports on the specific election result of Scott Colom winning the Mississippi Senate seat, while Article B focuses on the historical context and previous Black US senators in Mississippi.”
The Independent
Hedges 0 of 13 claims Outlet record 59/100
“Article A discusses the historic nature of Scott Colom's election to become Mississippi's first black US senator in over 150 years, while Article B reports on the immediate aftermath and reaction to the election, including praise from President Trump.”
The Guardian
Hedges 0 of 7 claims Outlet record 65/100
“While both articles discuss Scott Colom's victory in the Mississippi Senate race, they appear to be discussing different aspects of the event: Article A focuses on the historical context and significance, while Article B discusses the campaign tactics and the unseating of the incumbent.”

Story

Scott Colom's Senate win
Politics · 101 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
14
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 14 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
BBC News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
101
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-14 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

BBC News · 5818 article(s) · 7 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 7 correction(s)

Who wrote this

BBC News
261 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
He is expected to be extradited after he has served his sentence in the UK.
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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, described a harrowing scene, saying workers "who had only barely survived themselves turned back and dug victims out of the rubble".
After winning a close race in Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom will become the state's first black US senator for more than 150 years, and the third in history.
Even the UK's official forecaster the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) effectively pencilled in 0.3% at the Budget just 3 weeks ago.
He will be sentenced at the same court on 18 November.
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Mayor of Richmond upon Thames councillor Nancy Baldwin said: "This recognition is especially meaningful because residents highlighted their pride in the local area, our beautiful parks and green spaces, and the local services they rely on every day.
A national two-minute silence will take place at 11:00 GMT to mark the end of the war and to remember those who have died in all conflicts since.
2026-11-11 · assertive framing · Services being held across UK to mark Armistice Day
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.
Also by BBC News
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 261 articles by BBC News →

Topics

Democrat Mississippi Washington the Civil War the US Senate

Subjects

Colom PERSON · 5× Mississippi GPE · 5× Democrat NORP · 2× Revels PERSON · 2× the US Senate ORG · 2× Blanche Bruce PERSON · 1× Bruce PERSON · 1× Hiram Revels PERSON · 1× Scott Colom PERSON · 1× Washington GPE · 1×

Narrative

"I've had some amazing days in my life," she continued, "but seeing Mississippi, this state in particular, turn blue, would really bring a light to my heart that people just would not understand."
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-14
After winning a close race in Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom will become the state's first black US senator for more than 150 years, and the third in history.

Claims (14 extracted, 0 hedged)

After winning a close race in Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom will become the state's first black US senator for more than 150 years, and the third in history. asserted
Colom → win → history
It is a historic result in the deeply conservative southern state that last sent a Democrat to the US Senate in 1982, and had not seated a black senator since 1875. asserted
that → send → 1875
Colom follows Hiram Revels, who became the first black person ever to serve in the chamber when he was seated from 1870 to 1871, and Blanche Bruce, whose term ran from 1875 to 1881. asserted
term → follow → 1881
Revels was chosen as Mississippi's first senator after the Civil War, serving for just over a year and campaigning strongly for racial equality. asserted
Revels → choose → equality
A few years later, Bruce, who was born into slavery, became the first black person to serve a full term in the US Senate. asserted
who → bear → Senate
He remained in Washington after leaving the chamber and held a role in the Treasury. asserted
He → remain → Treasury
Both terms came before the repressive Jim Crow laws began to enforce racial segregation across Mississippi and other southern US states. asserted
laws → come → Mississippi
A significant factor in Colom's victory was his success in mobilising young people and the state's large black population, who are expected to have turned out in high numbers. asserted
who → mobilise → numbers
In a victory speech, Colom referenced how Revels, who was a minister and served as a chaplain during the Civil War, gained support for his Senate campaign through his words. asserted
who → reference → words
"That's an example of the power of prayer, and through our history, there are so many people that lifted this state up through the power of prayer in very dark times," Colom said. asserted
Colom → be → times
Prior to the result being called, the BBC spoke to students at Jackson State University, a historically black college in Mississippi. asserted
BBC → call → Mississippi
Many of them had voted for the first time and backed Colom. asserted
Many → vote → Colom
"I really feel like a change is what we need," 18-year-old Jamyria Dunn said. asserted
Dunn → feel → what
"I've had some amazing days in my life," she continued, "but seeing Mississippi, this state in particular, turn blue, would really bring a light to my heart that people just would not understand." asserted
people → have → that
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