One week after nearly a million voters cast their ballots, the results are in. Mississippians picked a new U.S. senator: Scott Colom, the district attorney from Columbus.
Colom defeated incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith to become the first Black person the state has sent to the Senate in more than 150 years. He received 49% of the vote, leading Hyde-Smith by more than 4,500 votes.
“I’ve always said this campaign belongs to the people of Mississippi, and I’m incredibly proud of everyone who made their voice heard,” Colom wrote in a post on Nov. 9. “I’ll work every day in the U.S. Senate to build a future that generations of Mississippians can be just as proud to call home.”
Many voters who said they voted for Colom told Capital B he listened to their concerns, from farmers facing high diesel prices to funneling resources to keep rural hospitals open.
“What’s urgent to me is I see that the person that’s in office now is not looking out for everybody’s best interest,” said Vince Davis, 62. “What I see from Scott is that he is for all Mississippians because he’s for lower costs, he’s for higher wages, and he’s for healthcare. I don’t see that cause being uplifted from Cindy.”
Colom didn’t just win over Black voters. He also outperformed in Republican counties such as Forrest, Lafayette and Oktibbeha. He flipped at least 18 counties, according to a preliminary analysis by the Jackson newspaper Clarion Ledger.
The ballot counting process — and casting a vote on Election Day — didn’t go without hiccups. Many voters who didn’t know they had been marked inactive had to cast an affidavit, or provisional, ballot. They experienced long lines and were directed to travel to different locations to get their ballots corrected. Volunteers who observed the counting also reported challenges with accessing correct information about location and meeting times to be present while the election commissioners began counting.
The NAACP congratulated Mississippians for their historic participation in the midterms. The organization said voters had to overcome confusion at the ballot box and attempts of intimidation.
“They showed up for their communities, for their families, and for the future of their state. They reminded the nation that we the people have the power,” Derrick Johnson, NAACP president, said in a statement.
He praised the efforts of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP, which opened 11 field offices, knocked on more than 150,000 doors across half of counties, and registered more than 17,000 voters. The effort was part of the organization’s get-out-the-vote campaign.
“Our work didn’t stop when the polls closed. We doubled down, helping voters cure their ballots, observing the counting process, and ensuring all eligible votes were counted. Mississippi voters fought throughout this election, and we were proud to stand alongside them from registration to certification,” said Charles Taylor, president of the Mississippi chapter.
Neither campaign has stated if it will challenge the election results. Unlike other states, Mississippi does not have a recount law. However, a candidate can request to examine the ballot boxes within 12 days of the election. Either party still has the option to make a legal challenge.
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