The Aporia
Richardson, H. C. (2026, November 13). November 12, 2026. Letters from an American. https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/november-12-2026
Richardson, Heather Cox. “November 12, 2026.” Letters from an American, 13 Nov. 2026, https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/november-12-2026.
Richardson, Heather Cox. “November 12, 2026.” Letters from an American, November 13, 2026. https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/november-12-2026.
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Democratic challenger Scott Colom has been projected as the winner of the Mississippi Senate race, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in a razor-thin contest. During the counting process on November 4, 2026, the two candidates were neck-and-neck with approximately 48.9 percent of the vote each after 96.6 percent of ballots were tallied. The race was so close that it was separated by only a handful of votes or a few dozen votes at different points in the reporting. The outcome was significant because it marked a shift in a state that had not elected a Democratic senator in over four decades. Scott Colom is projected to become the first Black senator from Mississippi since the 1800s. The win occurred amid a broader Democratic sweep in the 2026 midterm elections, where the party captured control of both the House and Senate. While the race was undecided for several days, CBS News eventually projected the victory for Colom on November 12, 2026.
The backlash against Black political power was ferocious in Mississippi
a convention rewrote the state constitution to enforce white supremacy
Mississippi became the center of voter suppression in the United States
29 outlets covered “Scott Colom's Senate win”.
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.
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 (this article)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 storyMississippi elected Democrat Scott Colom as senator, marking the state's first Black senator since the post-Civil War era. The race against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith was highly competitive and took over a week to call following the U.S. midterms. The article explores how Colom’s grassroots campaign succeeded despite initially limited support from national Democrats, as discussed by Lucy Hough with George…
Mississippi makes history with Democrat Scott Colom’s Senate win - The Latest →10 articles from The Guardian on this storyDemocrat 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 storyScott 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 storyDistrict 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 storyScott 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 storyDemocrat 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 storyMississippi 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 →4 articles from Al Jazeera on this storyIn 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 storyScott 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 storyScott 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 storyScott Colom is set to become the first Black U.S. Senator from Mississippi elected by voters in nearly 150 years. His predecessors, Hiram Rhodes Revels and Blanche Kelso Bruce, were both chosen by Mississippi's state legislature during the Reconstruction era, with Revels serving from February 1870 to March 1871 and Bruce from 1875 to 1881. Revels was the first African American to serve in Congress, while Bruce was…
Scott Colom makes history in Mississippi. Two other Black men did the same 150 years before him →3 articles from Toronto Star on this storyScott 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 storyIn 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 storyScott 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 storyDemocrats 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 storyMississippi voters are waiting to see if Democrat Scott Colom will edge out Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in a closely contested Senate race that could change the state’s political landscape after nearly four decades of Republican control. As of Tuesday morning, Colom leads by about 2,500 votes, less than 1%, but thousands of provisional ballots remain uncounted, potentially enough to swing the outcome. If…
In Mississippi, voters await cliffhanger Senate result with hope and frustration →2 articles from BBC on this storyMississippi voters elected Scott Colom as their first Black U.S. senator in nearly 150 years, defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in a race that highlights ongoing voting rights issues in the Deep South. With most outstanding ballots cast for Colom and his lead surpassing 5,000 votes, Democrats are projected to hold at least 55 Senate seats following this election. The victory comes amid allegations of…
Mississippi elects its first Black senator in 150 years giving Democrats a 55-seat majority →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 →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 →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 →Scott Colom, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's US Senate race, marking the state's first black senator since 1874 during the Reconstruction era. This victory contributes to Democrats' national success in the midterms, giving them a 55-44 majority in the Senate pending one undecided race.
US midterms: Democrat Colom defeats Hyde-Smith in Mississippi to win historic Senate seat →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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? →AI · cited, from two or more outlets
Although a race this close would automatically trigger a recount in some states, Mississippi has no law on the books for initiating a recount.
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.
Mississippi allows mail ballots to arrive up to five business days after the election, according to the Secretary of State's office, which sets that day as Nov. 10, 2026.
Mississippi has the highest share of Black voters in the country, at close to 40%, but President Trump won the state by 23 points in 2024.
How the first headlines put it
Mississippi Senate race at razor thin margin as vote count continues
Deep red Mississippi on a knife-edge as Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith fails to seal the deal
Votes are still being counted to see who will represent Mississippi in the Senate
What Senate races are left to be decided
Newsom solicits cash as Biden’s former election lawyer mobilizes legal team for Mississippi Senate race
What to know about recounts in Mississippi with razor-thin margin in Senate race
Mississippi’s Unbelievable Blue Turn
Mississippi Senate race heads to an extended vote count and possible ballot battle
How the Mississippi Senate Race Became a Nail-Biter
Democrat Scott Colom unseats Cindy Hyde-Smith in shocking Mississippi Senate win
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
