“A rich message, but a poor campaign”: How Scott Colom beat the odds in Mississippi

On Wednesday, Mississippi’s Senate race was officially called for Democrat Scott Colom, who will become the first Black person to represent the state in the US Senate since Reconstruction, more than 140 years ago. Colom’s win is a stunning, historic upset — and for many Black Democrats, like Rep. Bennie Thompson, it’s been a long time coming. Thompson, who also won his race last week, has represented Mississippi’s majority-Black Second Congressional District since 1993. Over the years, the 78-year-old lawmaker has frequently invoked the story of his father, who was never able to cast a vote because of racist Jim Crow laws that enforced segregation until the mid-1960s. I sat down with Thompson for Today, Explained to talk about Colom’s run for Senate, how he won, what it means for Thompson personally. Below is an excerpt of our conversation, edited for length and clarity.

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