First Thing: Mississippi turns blue as Scott Colom unseats Republican Senate incumbent

Scott Colom, a 43‑year‑old District Attorney, claimed a historic victory in Mississippi’s Senate race, defeating incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde‑Smith and becoming the state’s first Black senator since Reconstruction. His campaign, powered by a viral ad and grassroots outreach—from free‑taco truck drives to college campus visits—capped a national backlash against the Trump administration and was celebrated by supporters in Jackson as a milestone for civil‑rights progress.