‘I had the courage to believe in Mississippi’ says Scott Colom after historic Senate win – US politics live
19m ago 12.19 GMT Colom makes history with Democratic Senate victory in Mississippi Hello, and welcome to the US politics live blog. Mississippi has elected
19m ago 12.19 GMT Colom makes history with Democratic Senate victory in Mississippi Hello, and welcome to the US politics live blog. Mississippi has elected Scott Colom, a Democrat, as its senator, adding to a wave of Democratic gains across the country in this year’s midterm elections. He defeated incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in the closely contested Senate race to become the state’s first black senator since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, marking a historic moment for Mississippi and a major breakthrough for the Democrats in a traditionally Republican state.
View image in fullscreen Senator-elect Scott Colom raises a fist during his victory rally in Tougaloo, Mississippi on Wednesday. Photograph: Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger/Reuters “All I did was have the courage to imagine a night like this,” Colom said in his victory speech last night. “I had the courage to believe in Mississippi. I had the courage to understand that we can show the country that Mississippi matters.” Just over a week since the midterm elections, the Associated Press called the race after absentee and provisional ballots were counted.
“While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” Hyde-Smith said. You can read more about Colom’s grassroots campaign, his viral strategy and how he reached voters at Trump rallies despite limited early backing from national Democrats here In other news US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, seeking progress towards ending the war in Ukraine following negotiations with Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi.
View image in fullscreen US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev walk from hotel for a scheduled meeting in Moscow, Russia. Photograph: Yulia Morozova/Reuters
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