Scott Colom Overcame Mississippi Skepticism
Scott Colom won Mississippi’s Senate race despite doubts even among his supporters.
November 13, 2026 · Updated 3:34pm ET
The New York TimesEven Scott Colom’s Backers Were Skeptical. Here’s How He Won in Mississippi.
Christian Science MonitorMississippi matters. So does Scott Colom’s Senate win there.
TownhallMississippi's New Democrat Senator Had Three Words for Cindy Hyde-Smith. It Was Pretty Classy
HuffPostThere’s A Mississippi The National Media Rarely Talks About. Scott Colom’s Win Put It On Display.
USA TODAYHow a Nina Simone song resonates in Scott Colom Mississippi Senate win
New RepublicScott Colom Pushes Back as Schumer Tries to Take Credit for His Win
BBC NewsBlack Mississippians celebrate a victory almost no one saw coming
PBS NewsHourHow Scott Colom won his longshot bid to flip Mississippi's Senate seat
Los Angeles TimesBlack voters view Scott Colom's historic U.S. Senate win through lens of Mississippi's racial legacy
MS NOWToday, we hand over the newsletter to you, our readers
Boston Globe‘I had to have faith’: How a Democrat defied long odds in Mississippi’s Senate race
The GuardianAcross racial lines, Americans celebrate Scott Colom’s historic election: ‘The times they are a-changin’
TechdirtPick Another Senator: How The Open Internet Helped Scott Colom Win Mississippi
The NationBefore Scott Colom, There Was Hiram Revels
Daily KosFor Black trailblazers in Mississippi, Colom’s Senate win is personal
73%
Left · 16
23%
Center · 5
4%
Right · 1
Pano rates the coverage Mostly Left.
What happened
- Scott Colom
Scott ColomAmerican lawyer and politician (born 1982) overcame widespread doubts to defeat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith
Cindy Hyde-SmithAmerican politician (born 1959) in Mississippi and is now challenging Chuck Schumer
Chuck SchumerAmerican politician (born 1950)’s account of recruiting him. - Colom’s mother recalled potential donors telling the Democratic candidate he sounded impressive but could not win, and Colom said some donors would not answer his calls.
- Former Democratic Senate candidate Mike Espy
Mike Espy25th United States Secretary of Agriculture advised Colom and shared donor and voter lists, saying he hoped his earlier losses had helped pave the way. - After Schumer said he recruited Colom, the senator-elect thanked him for his help but said, “The people of Mississippi recruited me.”
- Colom has not committed to supporting Schumer for Senate majority leader next year, saying, “I gotta know my options.”
How the left told it
Left-leaning outlets largely framed Colom’s upset as a historic breakthrough that challenged assumptions about Mississippi. The New York Times explored skepticism even among his supporters; HuffPost challenged portrayals of the state as unwinnable for Democrats. The New Republic highlighted his pushback against Schumer’s claim to credit.
How the right told it
Only one right-leaning outlet covered the story: Townhall emphasized Colom’s graciousness after a historic upset. It called Scott Colom’s “God bless her” message to Hyde-Smith “pretty classy,” acknowledged her campaign missteps and suggested regional bias had helped obscure his chances.
Mississippi Senate Race
Part of the storyline · Storyline →- Nov 13Scott Colom Overcame Mississippi Skepticism (this story)Mostly Left
- Nov 12Supporters Celebrate Scott Colom’s Mississippi VictoryLeans Left
- Nov 11Scott Colom Wins Mississippi Senate RaceLeans Left
- Nov 10Mississippi Voters Seek To Validate BallotsLeans Left
- Nov 6Mississippi Senate Ballot Fight EscalatesBalanced
