Democrat Scott Colom now leads Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by roughly 1,100 votes in Mississippi’s unresolved Senate race, while both sides say they still expect to win as officials check remaining ballots.
Where the count stands
Unofficial returns with about 96% of the expected vote counted show Colom ahead of Hyde-Smith by just over 1,100 votes, according to CBS News and WXXV. Local tallies cited by those outlets put Colom at 464,926 votes (49.0%) and Hyde-Smith at 463,788 (48.9%). Independent Ty Pinkins has 19,934 votes, or about 2.1%.
CNN’s Manu Raju reported on X Wednesday evening that Colom’s lead had grown to 1,138 votes and remained “razor-thin.” The Associated Press has not called the race.
- Colom (D): 464,926 (49.0%)
- Hyde-Smith (R): 463,788 (48.9%)
- Pinkins (I): 19,934 (2.1%)
- Margin: Colom +1,138 (per Raju / matching local tallies)
What each side says
CNN’s Annie Grayer spoke with Colom at a campaign event as the lead hit about 1,138 votes. “I’m confident,” Colom told her. At a Nov. 4 news conference, Colom said, “Once the process plays out, where we are, where the ballots are, we’re gonna win,” according to CNN reporting summarized by Quartz.
Hyde-Smith’s campaign is also projecting confidence. Campaign manager Jake Monssen said the team is “closely monitoring” thousands of outstanding ballots and remains confident Mississippians will have reelected the senator once every legally cast vote is counted, according to the same CNN reporting.
Ballots still being checked
WLBT reports that Hinds County election commissioners have begun sorting and verifying sealed affidavit ballots. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s office said 70 of 82 counties have uploaded unofficial results. About 3,600 mail-in absentee ballots remain outstanding statewide, plus an unknown number of affidavit ballots.
After those ballots are counted, clerks have until Nov. 13 to certify the election, according to WLBT. Mississippi has no automatic recount; a court would have to order one. Republican analyst Henry Barbour told WLBT the remaining ballots will likely decide the race.
Why it matters
Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982. President Trump carried the state by about 20 points in 2024. If Colom prevails, he would add to Democrats’ new Senate majority and would be Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction, according to ABC News reporting cited by Quartz. Democrats already have enough seats elsewhere to control the chamber, so this race affects the size of that majority, not which party holds it.
The margin has swung several times since Election Night, when unofficial tallies briefly showed a gap of only a few dozen votes. Officials say the slow pace reflects normal verification, not a breakdown of the count.
Sources: CBS News; WXXV; WLBT; Quartz / CNN; Manu Raju on X; Annie Grayer on X; CNN Politics live blog
