Mississippi Makes History, Democrats Face a Leadership Fight & Gas Prices Fall

Mimi Brown (0:05)

A historic Senate victory nearly 150 years in the making.

Scott Colom (0:09)

Throughout this campaign, there were many times where I had to have faith.

Mimi Brown (0:13)

Democrats may have won control of Congress, but now there's a new fight brewing over who's going to lead them.

Bernie Sanders (0:19)

But in my view, the time is now for change.

Mimi Brown (0:23)

And some welcome relief at the gas pump just in time for Thanksgiving travel.

It's Friday, November 13th.

From The Black Effect Podcast Network, I'm Mimi Brown, and here are the day's biggest stories. Stay with me.

We start in Mississippi where a historic victory has been made. Democrat Scott Colum has defeated Republican Senator Cindy Hyde Smith in one of the closest Senate races in the country. After more than a week of counting ballots, Colum won by more than 1,000 votes. And that's why this is so historic. The last Black US. Senator from Mississippi was Blanche K. Bruce, a man born into slavery who served from 1875 to 1881 That was nearly 150 years ago. Mississippi hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate in more than 40 years. And this was a state that President Trump won by 23 points just two years ago. A surge in Black voter turnout helped Colom pull off the upset. And after the race was called, Colom addressed his supporters celebrating a victory that marks a major turning point in Mississippi politics.

Scott Colom (1:35)

Throughout this campaign, there were many times where I had to have faith. There were times that I couldn't get donors to answer the phone. They did not believe a moment like this was possible. But I kept the faith. There are so many people that had faith in Mississippi, at times where it seemed impossible.

People like Medgar Evers. I can't help but think about Medgar Evers on Veterans Day, a moment like this, where he served his country and came home to Mississippi when they wouldn't let him vote.

But he had faith that Mississippi could make progress. He had faith that one day everybody would have the right to vote. He had faith that a day like this was possible.

Mimi Brown (2:27)

And with Cologne's victory, Democrats now have 55 seats in the Senate, with Republicans holding 44 And we're still waiting on Alaska, where Democrat Mary Patola is leading Republican Senator Dan Sullivan by more than 4,000 votes. If Patola wins, Democrats would have 56 seats in the Senate.

And Democrats may have won big in the midterms, but now there's a fight over who's going to lead the party in Congress. Senator Bernie Sanders says he will not support Chuck Schumer for another term as top Democrat in the Senate. Sanders says voters made it clear they want change, and that would include the party's leadership.

Bernie Sanders (3:08)

I personally have known Chuck Schumer for over 30 years. And I like Chuck, nobody who works harder than Chuck Schumer. But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be re-elected as the Democratic leader.

Mimi Brown (3:25)

And Schumer isn't the only one facing pushback. Over in the House, Democrat Hakeem Jeffries announced Wednesday that he's officially running to become the next Speaker of the House. If elected, he would make history as the first Black person to hold that position. But not everyone in his own party is on board. Some newly elected progressive Democrats have yet to commit to supporting him, although no one has officially stepped up to challenge him. Jeffries was asked about the pushback.

Hakeem Jeffries (3:52)

Yeah, there's no indication that members of Congress have been overwhelmed by any calls. And, you know, I think that I'm going to continue to make the case in my conversations with every single member of the caucus.

Mimi Brown (4:06)

And Jeffries is already laying out his priorities, including lowering the cause for Americans, reversing Medicaid cuts, and launching investigations into the Trump administration. The full House votes on the next speaker, January 3rd.

And finally, some good news for your wallet. Gas prices are dropping. For the first time since July, the nationwide average for regular gas is back down to $4 a gallon. According to AAA, drivers are now paying $3.98 a gallon. That's down 17 cents from last week and nearly 40 cents from a month ago. So if you have a 15-gallon tank, you're saving almost $6 to fill up compared to last month. And there's a couple of reasons prices are falling. Oil prices are coming down as tension surrounding the war in Iran began to ease. Plus gas prices typically drop down this year because fewer people are driving. But before we celebrate too much, gas is still more expensive than it was at the beginning of the year. Still, with Thanksgiving travel just around the corner, this is some welcome relief for families planning to hit the road.