Democrat Scott Colom won Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat in the closest race in the country, flipping a seat Republicans had held for decades and handing Democrats an unexpected gain in a deep red state.
Colom's victory marks the first time Mississippi voters have elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1989, when John C. Stennis retired. His win came after a protracted count through election night, with the final margin not immediately disclosed.
Both parties poured resources into the final weeks, recognizing the race as winnable. Colom's campaign directly challenged three decades of Republican dominance in the state's federal elections.
