The last time the Deep South state started a Black senator was in 1875, during “Reconstruction,” a roughly twenty-year period when the US federal government sought to support the integration and equality of Southern Black people after the Civil War. Mississippi actually sent two Black men to the Senate during that time: Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce. But by the 1890s, flagging federal attention created room for a backlash among Southern whites, who imposed Jim Crow segregation laws that would last until the 1960s. By defeating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, Colom will be not only the state’s first Black senator since the 19th century, but also its first Democrat to win a Senate race since the 1980s.
Hard Numbers
Mississippi blue(s)
Will Fitzpatrick
By Alex KlimentNovember 12, 2026
Alex Kliment
Alex wears a few different caps and tips them all regularly. He writes for the GZERO Daily, works as a field correspondent for GZERO's nationally syndicated TV show GZERO WORLD WITH IAN BREMMER, and writes/directs/voices GZERO's award-winning puppet satire show PUPPET REGIME. Prior to joining GZERO, Alex worked as an analyst covering Russia and broader Emerging Markets for Eurasia Group. He has also written for the Financial Times from Washington, DC, and Sao Paulo Brazil. In his spare time, he makes short films and composes scores for long ones. He studied history and Slavic literature at Columbia and has a Master's from Johns Hopkins SAIS. He's a native New Yorker, a long-suffering Mets fan, and owns too many bicycles.
