Scott Colom Wins Mississippi US Senate Race, Will Be State’s First Black Senator in 146 Years
Scott Colom, a 43-year-old Democrat, will be Mississippi’s next U.S. senator and the first Black senator to represent the state in the U.S. Capitol since 1881.
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Mississippi Trusted Elections Liveblog
Scott Colom has emerged victorious over Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race, becoming the first Black senator from Mississippi in 146 years.
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‘Mississippi Matters’: Scott Colom’s Victory Challenges Assumptions About the Magnolia State, Could Herald a New Era
Democratic nominee Scott Colom defeated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith on Wednesday in Mississippi’s closely contested U.S. Senate race after a prolonged ballot counting process, giving the state its first Black U.S. senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction.
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RECENT News
Scott Colom Overperforms Among Affidavit Ballots in Humphreys and Sharkey Counties, a Statewide Pattern
Democrat Scott Colom is overperforming among affidavit ballots in two Mississippi Delta counties in the race for U.S. Senate, continuing a pattern MFP has reported on elsewhere in Mississippi.
Culture
Rivers Greenhouse & Garden: Brandon Family Sells Mississippi-Grown Plants for 57 Years
For 57 years, Rivers Greenhouse & Garden in Brandon, Mississippi, has grown and sold flowers, vegetables, herbs and other plants to its local customer base.
Voices
Democracy | The Original MFP Editor Was Beaten With a Tire Iron. The Work Must Prevail.
Mississippi Free Press CEO and Executive Editor Donna Ladd recounts her Nov. 6, 2026, phone call with former MFP publisher and editor Charlie Butts, who spoke with her about the significance of a free press that sets the stage for future generations.
Award-Winning MFP JournaLism
Mississippi Free Press Awards Roll: 120 Honors for MFP Team, 21 for YMP, Since 2020
As of August 15, 2026, our team is up to 120 national and U.S. regional awards and finalist nods since we launched in late March 2020.
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Democrat Scott Colom Leads Mississippi US Senate Race by 43 Votes Against Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith
Mississippi’s U.S. Senate election between Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Scott Colom was too close to call in the early hours of the…
Mississippi Voters Report Delays, Faulty Machines and Closed Precincts
Mississippi voters hit broken machines, unannounced precinct closures and missing names on the rolls Tuesday. Cassandra Welchlin of the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable says most…
