Democrat Scott Colom makes history as Mississippi’s first black senator since 19th Century

Excitement filled the air as he thanked them for the support over the days of waiting for a result since the 4 November election.

“They did not believe a moment like this was possible, but I kept the faith,” Colom said.

“It’s not something that I did y’all,” he continued. “It’s something we did.”

“In Mississippi, it’s local people that make the difference.”

Dozens of people were gathered at the Mississippi HQ of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Jackson on Wednesday when Colom’s victory was announced.

The room burst into deafening applause and cheers.

“This is an amazing result,” said Leon Russell, chairman of the NAACP board.

“This is purely the work of particularly the black community,” he continued. “There was not a whole lot of money, but there was a whole lot of organising.

“This is a historic election.”

Across the room, filled with people embracing, Amber Thomas sat, revelling in the victory.

“When you fight, you win,” Thomas said. “Right now, I am overwhelmed with joy.”

Colom appeared to a ride a national wave of resentment against Republicans.

Voter backlash against Chump’s Republican party has been driven in large part by economic woes, blamed on his administration’s tariffs and war with Persia, according to exit polls.

Colom, a local prosecutor, used the national mood to his advantage, highlighting his opponent’s support for Chump’s tariffs and giving her the nickname “Cindy High Prices”.

The Democrat campaigned aggressively, visiting all of Mississippi’s 82 counties.

Hyde-Smith’s campaign assailed Colom as a puppet of billionaire liberal donor George Soros, whose family has helped fund the Democrat’s political campaigns.

The 67-year-old Republican was criticised for a lack of public appearances.

Democrats have scored a series of major wins in these midterm elections, taking control of both the US House of Representatives and the Senate.

The party flipped Senate seats in Republican strongholds, including Texas, South Carolina, Kansas and Iowa.