How Scott Colom defied the odds to go from district attorney to Mississippi's Democratic US Senator

In a state that hasn't had a Democrat in office since 1980 and hasn't sent a Black Senator to Washington since the 1870s, Colom's win represents a massive upset in state politics.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5691x3794+0+0/resize/5691x3794!/quality/85/format/webp/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc8%2F25%2F1303b95b4baab6e90f92ff3ca35d%2Fgettyimages-2303031468.jpg' alt='Scott Colom speaks as he gives an update on state of Senate race against Cindy Hyde-Smith November 4, 2026 in Jackson, Mississippi. '/><p>In a state that hasn't had a Democrat in office since 1980 and hasn't sent a Black Senator to Washington since the 1870s, Colom's win represents a massive upset in state politics.</p><p>(Image credit: Rogelio V. Solis)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-6037438' />