Mississippi elects first Black US Senator in 40 years

Scott Colom has been declared the winner of the United States Senate seat for Mississippi, becoming the first Democrat to hold the seat in four decades and the first Black politician to do so since 1881.

The announcement was made in the historic Masonic Lodge Hall in Jackson, the permanent home of the NAACP’s state headquarters. Dozens of people gathered in the small room, where a large speaker broadcast the news and the crowd erupted in cheers, hugs and tears.

Charles Taylor, executive director of the NAACP’s Mississippi branch, said the victory felt “holy” and highlighted the significance of the moment given the state’s history of racial oppression. The office where Taylor now works was once occupied by civil‑rights activist Medgar Evers.

Colom’s win came despite a campaign funding gap of roughly €2 million compared with Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde‑Smith, according to the latest FEC records. The NAACP reported knocking on more than 150,000 doors and visiting over 2,500 churches in the run‑up to the election, far exceeding its 2022 effort.

Exit polls indicated that 91 % of Black voters supported Colom, and a surge in young voter turnout was noted, with over 600 students from Jackson State University casting ballots, compared with about 100 in the previous mid‑term.

The result overturns expectations for a state that has long been a Republican stronghold, where former President Donald Trump won re‑election by over 22 points two years ago.

Source: BBC News. Photo: Phil Evenden / Pexels.