The Making of a Mississippi Miracle
Ethan Winter's Substack post examines why Scott Colom, leading the still-uncalled 2026 Mississippi Senate race by 2,536 votes as of November 9, ran well ahead of Brandon Presley's 2023 showing, arguing that his gains came disproportionately from white voters in racially mixed suburban, coastal, and college counties while Black turnout held steady. Using a "county EI + polls" blend of county results and NORC's survey, Winter credits Colom with slightly cracking Mississippi's racially polarized voting, flags a possible xAI data center effect in DeSoto County, and promises revised estimates once precinct returns arrive.
