Scott Colom's wife, Nadia, and their two daughters appeared in his Mississippi Senate campaign from its launch, bringing a family presence to a race that remained uncalled in a Nov. 5 count.
The Associated Press reported at 1:11 p.m. ET (18:11 UTC) Nov. 5 that Colom, the Democratic challenger, led Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 1,145 votes with 96% of ballots counted. AP had not called the race at the time of that update.
Colom introduced his family in a video released with his Sept. 3, 2025, campaign announcement. The couple's daughters appeared at the beginning and end, and Colom named them among his reasons for running. Nadia joined an exchange about grocery prices, bringing a household expense into the family's introduction to voters.
More than a year later, Nadia spoke at a Columbus High School rally featuring former Vice President Kamala Harris in October 2026, the Mississippi Free Press reported. Nadia said Harris called on Aug. 13 and asked to campaign with her husband. Colom handed Nadia the phone, telling Harris that she had had a rough day, Nadia said.
“He pays attention. He makes room for other people,” Nadia said at the rally, according to the Mississippi Free Press. Her account described a moment away from the campaign stage, while her appearance at the rally put her before voters in Columbus.
AP has described a Colom victory as making him Mississippi's first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction. U.S. Senate records identify Hiram Revels of Mississippi as the first Black senator; he took office in 1870.
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson's office said Nov. 4 that about 3,600 absentee ballots sent by mail remained outstanding, along with an unknown number of affidavit ballots. The office said county officials administer elections locally. Counties have until Nov. 13 to submit certified results.
