Mississippi Has Never Elected a Black U.S. Senator. Now, Scott Colom Is Aiming to Change That
In what would be a historic political upset, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Scott Colom is aiming to end a 44-year drought in Mississippi, which hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1982—or a Black senator since Reconstruction in 1861—in November’s heated midterm elections.
Meet Scott Colom. The Columbus, Mississippi, native—who graduated from Millsaps College in 2005 and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School—who is the Democratic nominee in the 2026 Senate election in the Magnolia State. He’s running to unseat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is seeking a second full term.
Colom, the district attorney for four eastern counties, recently declared at the Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Natchez: “Y’all, we need a realignment on so many fronts,” the New York Times reported. A realignment so vast it would make history in a state that has been notoriously Republican for decades.
Donald Trump won deep-red Mississippi with 60% of the votes in 2024, according to NBC News. That same year, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker secured re-election by 26 points. In 2020, Trump won Mississippi with 58% to Joe Biden’s 41%. In 2016, Trump won Mississippi with 58% to Hillary Clinton’s 40%.
RELATED: EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: The Root Launches New Political Docuseries ‘What’s Popular?’
Not a single Democrat has held a U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi in over 40 years— but Colom is setting his sights on the biggest political upset in Mississippi history after he announced his Senate candidacy in September 2025. He went on to defeat Priscilla Williams-Till and Albert Littell in the Democratic primary in March.
“Guided by his Christian faith, Scott has dedicated his life to serving his neighbors and keeping them safe from violent criminals,” his official website stated. “Now he’s running to lower costs for families, save our Mississippi hospitals, and bring good jobs home. Scott loves his state and will always put Mississippi first.” It’s a strategy Colom’s pollster, Margie Omero, believes can actually work, per The Times.
At nearly 38%, Mississippi boasts the highest percentage of Black residents in the country. To pull off a win, Colom will need both overwhelming Black voter turnout and roughly a quarter of the white vote.
“When we talk about policy issues, we need to talk about it through a faith and values lens,” Colom told The Times. “Sometimes we talk about numbers, like we talk raising the minimum wage. We just need to raise the minimum wage because this is the proper thing to avoid inflation. No, people deserve the dignity of work. If somebody works, they deserve dignity, and that’s a values proposition to me.” It’s a faith-first strategy that is rallying major political heavyweights to his side.
Last week, former President Barack Obama rolled out a new advertisement in support of Colom, the Hill reported. “Mississippi, it’s time for a change. That’s why you need to send Scott Colom to the U.S. Senate. Scott is a devoted husband and dad, a seventh-generation Mississippian, guided by his Christian faith,” Obama said in the ad.
He added: “Scott made his community safer, prosecuting violent crimes as district attorney, fighting corruption in Columbus. Now he’s running for Senate to raise wages, lower costs, and save your healthcare and hospitals. Mississippi, your vote matters. Let’s get this done.”
Raphael Warnock, elected to the Senate after serving as the senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, is all too familiar with steep electoral odds in the Deep South.
He campaigned in Jackson, Mississippi, on October 14 to support Colom, and raised over $500,000 directly into Colom’s campaign committee, Politico reported, offering a bold prediction: “Mississippi is a blue state. It just doesn’t know it yet.”
The race for the U.S. Senate will be decided on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. To find your assigned polling location, verify your registration status, or check key voting deadlines, visit the Mississippi Secretary of State Official Elections Division.
