Democrat Scott Colom makes history as Mississippi's first black senator since 19th Century
In a state Trump won two years ago by 22 points, Colom's victory extends a string of Democratic wins in the Senate.
Noticia publicada originalmente por BBC News — World en bbc.co.uk (se abre en una pestaña nueva). Minuto 24 no es autor de este contenido.
Claves de la noticia
- El demócrata Scott Colom ganó la elección al Senado de Estados Unidos por Misisipi, con un 49,2% de los votos frente al 48,7% de la republicana Cindy Hyde-Smith, actual senadora.
- La diferencia fue de menos de cinco mil votos sobre casi un millón escrutados, en un estado que lleva décadas eligiendo republicanos.
- Colom, de 43 años y fiscal local, se convierte en el primer hombre negro de Misisipi en ocupar un escaño en el Senado desde Blanche Bruce, entre 1875 y 1881.
- Con este resultado, los demócratas tendrán 55 de los 100 escaños del Senado, aunque queda pendiente una ajustada carrera en Alaska.
- Hyde-Smith reconoció la derrota en un vídeo publicado en X, afirmando que respetaba la decisión de los votantes de Misisipi.
Contexto
La elección de Misisipi es relevante porque el estado, con mayoría republicana sostenida durante años, no se consideraba competitivo hasta las últimas semanas de campaña. Donald Trump ganó allí en 2024 por más de 22 puntos. El resultado se produce en un contexto de elecciones de mitad de mandato en las que los demócratas también han recuperado la Cámara de Representantes y han arrebatado escaños en bastiones republicanos como Texas, Carolina del Sur, Kansas e Iowa. Según las encuestas a pie de urna, el descontento económico, que los votantes atribuyen en buena parte a los aranceles y a la guerra con Irán, pesó en el electorado. Misisipi tiene una larga historia de representación afroamericana limitada en el Senado, por lo que el triunfo de Colom tiene un peso simbólico.
Resumen elaborado por Minuto 24 con ayuda de inteligencia artificial a partir de la noticia publicada por BBC News — World. Puede contener imprecisiones: ante cualquier duda, consulta la fuente original.
Published11 November 2026
Democrat Scott Colom has won the US Senate race in Mississippi, delivering a shock victory for the party in a deeply conservative state that has elected Republicans for decades.
Colom's victory makes him the first black person from Mississippi to be seated in the US Senate since Blanche Bruce served from 1875 to 1881.
Fewer than five thousand votes out of nearly a million counted separated him from his Republican opponent, the incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith.
The result means the Democrats will hold 55 seats in the 100-member Senate, with a knife-edge race in Alaska still to be called.
Before Scott Colom, these two men were the last black US senators in Mississippi
Colom, 43, won with 49.2% of the vote. Hyde-Smith, who received 48.7%, congratulated Colom in a video posted on X on Wednesday evening and wished him well.
"While this was not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters," she said.
The contest was not considered to be in play until the final weeks of the campaign, given President Donald Trump won the state in the 2024 election by more than 22 points.
Colom offered a victory speech on the campus of Tougaloo College, met by hundreds of cheering supporters standing side-by-side under the night sky.
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."
The last black senator in the state before Colom was Bruce who was chosen by the state legislature.
It has taken a century and a half for the state to choose a new one, this time by Mississippi voters.
In his campaign, Colom strove to engage Republican voters, even going to a Trump rally to speak to people in line outside.
Another key moment was his opponent telling voters to "pick another protein" when asked about surging beef prices, something Colom turned into a viral advert of his own., external
Colom appeared to a ride a national wave of resentment against Republicans.
Voter backlash against Trump's Republican party has been driven in large part by economic woes, blamed on his administration's tariffs and war with Iran, according to exit polls.
Colom, a local prosecutor, used the national mood to his advantage, highlighting his opponent's support for Trump'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.
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