Democrat Scott Colom will follow in the footsteps of Mississippi's previous Black U.S. senators after his slim victory over Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith. There have only been two. In 1870, Mississippi lawmakers chose Hiram Revels as the first Black senator, Emily Cochrane
reports for
The New York Times,
and Blanche Bruce, who was born into slavery and left office in 1875, soon followed. The state had not elected another Black senator until now.
Colom's victory came about during a nationwide "blue wave," but "for Republicans, the outcome was a jarring rebuke in a reliably conservative stronghold," Cochrane wrote. His unexpected win made him the first Black Senator from Mississippi in 146 years, and the first Black senator in the state’s history to be chosen by voters since Revels and Bruce were both chosen to fill vacant seats by other lawmakers.
Cochrane reports that "Mr. Colom’s victory was powered by a diverse coalition that included Black voters angered by policies that targeted their communities and their voting power; white voters frustrated with high prices and the Trump administration’s agenda; and some Republicans dissatisfied by Ms. Hyde-Smith’s loyalty to the president and his policies."
The wait for Mississippi’s final ballot count kept Colom in Mississippi as fellow election winners made their way to Washington. Colom held a small lead as lawyers from both parties scrutinized the mail-in and affidavit ballot count. "It was fitting, he said, to spend time in the state as his supporters grew hopeful that he would emerge the winner," Cochrane reports.
Cochrane writes that Colom’s goals include things such as improving healthcare and lowering costs, and reports that he did not dwell on the historical implications of his potential win throughout his campaign. After his win, though, he took time to recognize his legacy to an audience at Tougaloo College chapel, where Fannie Lou Hamer and Medgar Evers once spoke. Colom will be sworn into office in January.
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