Democrat Scott Colom Wins Mississippi County Named After KKK Grand Wizard In Senate Race

With 97 per cent of ballots counted in Forrest County, Colom led Hyde-Smith by 54 per cent to 44 per cent. (Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today via AP)

Democratic US Senate candidate Scott Colom has flipped Forrest County in Mississippi, a traditionally Republican area named after Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Ku Klux Klan’s first Grand Wizard, as he narrowly challenges Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in the state’s closely watched Senate race.

With 97 per cent of ballots counted in Forrest County, Colom led Hyde-Smith by 54 per cent to 44 per cent. The result marks a sharp reversal from 2024, when President Donald Trump carried the county by 18 percentage points.

Forrest County includes Hattiesburg, a majority-Black city and home to the University of Southern Mississippi. The county’s shift towards Democrats represents a significant local gain for Colom, although the statewide contest remained too close to call on Friday.

According to figures cited by The Associated Press, around 96 per cent of statewide votes had been counted, with Colom leading Hyde-Smith by 1,813 votes. He had received 466,775 votes, or 49 per cent, against Hyde-Smith’s 464,962 votes, or 48.9 per cent. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins had secured approximately 2 per cent.

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Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world