Atlanta – Scott Colom has won Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race, defeating Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith after more than a week of counting. Colom is Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction and its first Democratic senator since 1982. He is also the first Black senator Mississippians have elected by popular vote, since senators during Reconstruction were chosen by state lawmakers.

The win was powered by extremely high Black turnout, as voters showed up despite long lines, voting machines going down and late-opening precincts on Election Day, and more than 230,000 voters marked inactive heading into the election. Mississippi voters have real political power, and they used it.

Comment from Amir Badat, Fair Fight Southern States Director and Senior Advisor: 

“Scott Colom’s historic win is the product of years of organizing and community engagement by groups on the ground, who laid the foundation for the change we’re seeing today.

“Black voters in Mississippi overcame incredible obstacles – long lines, broken voting machines, voting location changes and more than 230,000 voters recklessly made inactive and essentially forced into a second class ballot – and still turned out in historic numbers. They made it clear that their voices must be heard, and they took action to win the change they deserve.

“Fair Fight has been proud to be part of building on that foundation over the past several years through political investment in key regions across Mississippi and voter protection work and working with coalition allies. This year, Fair Fight knocked on nearly 130,000 doors in support of Scott Colom, reaching voters in the counties that swung most toward him this cycle.

“This win is just the beginning. With statewide races on the ballot next year, Mississippians have the chance to carry this momentum forward and build even more progress for the people who deserve leadership and action that serves their needs.”

Fair Fight in Mississippi: Fair Fight Action (FFA) and Fair Fight (FF), along with Stacey Abrams’ other groups and in partnership with numerous local leaders and groups, have spent or raised more than $5 million in Mississippi over the past eight years. Fair Fight Action Southern States Director Amir Badat, a Mississippi native who lives in Jackson, has led and worked tirelessly on this effort for the past several years and FFA and FF have been working hand in hand with local leaders and local groups on this effort – a true team and coalition effort.

• 2023: Fair Fight had boots on the ground for Brandon Presley's campaign for governor, which came within 27,000 votes of unseating Gov. Tate Reeves.
• 2025: Fair Fight invested in candidates at the state and local levels:
  
  • Supported Democratic candidates that flipped two state Senate seats in court-ordered special elections and one state House seat to break the Republican supermajority in the Senate and effective supermajority in the House.
  • Helped to flip nine out of 17 municipal seats, including the first Black mayors of Horn Lake and Brookhaven and to flipping a 6-1 Republican majority board of alderman in Horn Lake to a 5-2 Democratic majority
• 2026: In addition to voter outreach, Fair Fight helped to stand up a year-round voter protection program at the state party that educated voters and helped them overcome obstacles to access the ballot box. After a new state law added citizenship verification requirements to voter registration, the Colom campaign partnered with groups like Fair Fight to reach people at risk of being removed from the rolls. Democratic turnout in the March primary rose 70% over 2018.

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