Democrat Scott Colom defeated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's U.S. Senate race, according to projections from the Associated Press and other outlets on Wednesday.

Colom, a 43-year-old district attorney, secured the victory after days of counting absentee and provisional ballots known as affidavit ballots in the state. He led with 49.2 percent of the vote to Hyde-Smith's 48.7 percent, a margin of roughly 4,669 votes with 99 percent of ballots tallied.

The win marks the first time Mississippi voters have elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982 and makes Colom the state's first Black U.S. senator since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. Hyde-Smith, who was appointed in 2018 and won a full term in 2020 by a double-digit margin, conceded the race late Wednesday.

The outcome contributes to Democratic gains in the 2026 midterms, expanding the party's Senate majority to at least 55 seats. President Donald Trump carried Mississippi by 23 points in 2024, yet Colom benefited from strong turnout in the state's large Black population and late Democratic investment in the contest.

Colom capitalized on economic discontent and campaign missteps by the incumbent. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins received about 2.1 percent of the vote. Counties have until Friday to certify results, though the race appears decided.

This victory flips a reliably Republican seat and underscores shifting dynamics in Southern politics amid the broader midterm results.