"The courage to believe in Mississippi": Colom celebrates Senate win at Tougaloo College

Supporters packed Tougaloo College Wednesday night, cheering as they celebrated the historic win. Colom committed to representing Mississippians across the state, regardless of who they voted for. 

“I make a solemn commitment to each and every Mississippian today,” Colom said. “In every decision I make, I will never forget the most important thing is Mississippi matters.”

He thanked his family, his campaign team and voters. Colom has been confident for months that he’d win and took the time to recognize that – but he also acknowledged that he didn’t do it on his own. 

“It's not something that I did, y'all: it's something that we did,” he told the crowd. “All I did was have the courage to imagine a night like this. I had the courage to believe in Mississippi.”

It was a tight race, though, and Colom, who ran on healthcare access and affordability, won by just shy of 5,000 votes. 

Hyde-Smith conceded that same night in a social media video.

"While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” Hyde-Smith said. “I want to congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state.”

Governor Tate Reeves and Mississippi GOP chair, Mike Hurst, likewise congratulated Colom on his campaign and win. 

“The people of Mississippi have spoken, and we Republicans respect their decision,” Hurst said in a statement. “While elections may determine who holds public office, they do not define who we are as a people nor diminish the principles we hold dear.”

With those messages, litigation that initially seemed highly likely may now be off the table. 

Colom has said he wants to prioritize the war in Iran, tariff policy and healthcare access as soon as he gets to Washington. 

Congressman Bennie Thompson spoke at the rally – thanking voters for giving him someone to work with on those issues. 

“I thank all of you for getting it done: so from my perspective, I now have a partner in Washington,” Thompson said. Thompson has represented District 2, including the Jackson metro area and the Delta for decades and has been the target of redistricting-related threats. 

“I have a partner that can do wonders just because he cares. But more importantly, he listens: and that's something that we haven't had in this state in a long time.”

The excitement and energy were palpable at Tougaloo, with supporters waving signs – including ones that read “Picked another Senator”. 

Nukia Tillis, a pre-med student at Tougaloo, said she felt “amazing”.

“It's just a thrilling experience, personally,” Tullis said. “It just goes to show that anything is possible: you're never too small and your dreams are never too big for you to accomplish, and you just keep going because this is truly amazing.”

Colom has credited young voters in providing a huge boost for his campaign – both in heading to the polls on their own and in galvanizing their peers. 

“I just really hope that younger voters that will get the chance to vote in the coming years, will see that their voice does matter,” Tullis said. “It gets more people out to vote and to allow them to understand that your vote does truly matter.”