Mississippi Has the Highest Share of Black Residents, but White Voters Rarely Back Democrats
Democrats see an opening for Scott Colom, who would be the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction.
Up First from NPR · Democratic Surrogates Campaign, US & Israel Plan Iran Strikes, Tesla SpaceX MergerMississippi has "the highest share of black voters in the country," as NPR reporter Stephen Fowler put it, yet white voters there rarely support Democrats.
That is the hurdle facing Senate nominee Scott Colom, described by Fowler as a strong, moderate Black candidate. Colom is seeking to be the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction. Former Vice President Harris traveled to Mississippi for a rally for Colom.
President Trump, who won the state by more than 20 points in 2024, announced a rally in Mississippi on Monday. Incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has run behind Trump's past performance in polls.
Fowler's question is whether Black turnout can carry Colom in a state where white voters rarely back Democrats, because crossover votes almost never arrive.
Questions people ask
How large is Mississippi's Black population?
About 38 percent of Mississippi residents are Black, the highest share of any state. Louisiana and Georgia are next. The Census Bureau tracks this as share of residents, which is different from share of voters.
Who were the last Black senators from Mississippi?
They were Hiram Revels, who served from 1870 to 1871, and Blanche Bruce, who served from 1875 to 1881. Both took office during Reconstruction, the period after the Civil War. After Reconstruction ended, Jim Crow laws largely shut Black voters out for decades.
Why is voting there so divided by race?
Mississippi has a history of slavery, segregation, and laws that kept Black and white political life separate. Those barriers eased after the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In later decades, party preferences diverged, with most white conservatives moving to Republicans and most Black voters supporting Democrats.