Pundits wrote off Colom's Senate bid before free-tacos truck and homecomings

Colom becomes first Black senator directly elected by Mississippi voters

Pundits had written off Colom as having no chance of winning when he announced his campaign last year, according to The Guardian.

His viral campaign ads created memorable slogans, The Guardian reported.

Colom also made efforts to engage Mississippians where they were: he drove a truck that offered free tacos, talked with students and alumni at college homecomings, and chatted with voters who were queued to see Donald Trump, according to The Guardian.

Colom has unseated Cindy Hyde-Smith, the incumbent Republican senator, to win Mississippi’s US Senate seat, according to The Guardian, becoming the first Black senator in Mississippi elected since Reconstruction.

He is also the first Black senator ever directly elected by the voters of Mississippi, and the first to serve the state in the Senate since 1881, The Guardian reported.

With his victory, Democrats will hold at least 55 seats in the Senate, their largest midterm gain since 1986, according to The Guardian.

Colom spoke in Jackson, Mississippi, on 11 November.

The Guardian’s report invited readers to share their reactions to Colom’s victory and their hopes for his tenure as senator.