Scott Colom Leads Hyde-Smith by 2,574 Votes as Mississippi Race Uncalled
Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes in Mississippi's uncalled Senate race, with affidavit ballots still being counted.
Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
JACKSON, Mississippi — Democrat Scott Colom held a 2,574-vote lead over Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on Monday, six days after Election Day, as Mississippi’s Senate race remained uncalled with about 97% of ballots counted. According to the Associated Press, Colom has 467,930 votes (49.1%) to Hyde-Smith’s 465,356 (48.8%), with independent Ty Pinkins at 20,028 votes (2.1%).
The seat is the last uncalled Senate race of the 2026 midterms. A Colom win would add to the Democrats’ gains after they flipped control of both chambers of Congress last Tuesday, and the result now rests on affidavit and mail ballots, with lawyers for both parties watching the count.
- Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes in Mississippi’s uncalled Senate race, with about 97% of ballots counted.
- The count continues through Tuesday, November 10, when the window for affidavit ballots closes, and counties must certify results by Friday, November 13.
- If the lead holds, Colom would become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Mississippi since 1982, and the state’s first Black Democratic senator.
The Associated Press count shows Colom’s lead widening steadily: 43 votes in the early hours of Wednesday, 1,138 by Wednesday evening, 2,029 early Friday and 2,574 by Friday evening. An analysis of county returns by the Clarion Ledger and USA Today found at least 18 counties flipped to Colom, including counties long treated as closed to Democrats running statewide. Hyde-Smith, who has held the seat since 2018, would need about 53.2% of the remaining vote to catch Colom.
Mississippi has not sent a Democrat to the United States Senate since 1982. Colom, a 43-year-old district attorney, would also become the state’s first Black Democratic senator if certified the winner. Mississippi has no recount process: candidates cannot request one, and a recount happens only by court order. Prediction-market prices tracked by Action Network put Colom at 99 cents on Polymarket and 98.6 cents on Kalshi.
| Candidate | Votes | Share | Colom’s lead over time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Colom (Democrat) | 467,930 | 49.1% | Early Wednesday: 43 votes |
| Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican) | 465,356 | 48.8% | Wednesday evening: 1,138 votes |
| Ty Pinkins (Independent) | 20,028 | 2.1% | Friday evening: 2,574 votes |
For Hyde-Smith, the arithmetic is unforgiving. The ballots still to be counted are affidavit ballots cast by voters who hit a problem at the polls, plus mail ballots postmarked by Election Day. Early affidavit tallies have favoured Colom: in one early sample of 503 processed affidavit ballots, he took 401 to Hyde-Smith’s 96, according to the Mississippi Free Press. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, a Republican, said his office had processed 11,202 provisional ballots, accepting 78% of them, and did not know how many remained. Mail ballots must arrive by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, and voters who cast affidavit ballots without photo identification have until the same day to show it at their circuit clerk’s office.
The race decides the final seat on the 2026 Senate map and the size of the Democratic majority that takes office when the new Congress is sworn in on January 3. President Trump has already said his deportation policy may have been too tough, while his remarks about a legal-status deal have split his own party.
Colom told a news conference on Wednesday: “We’re prepared to litigate, though we were prepared for this for months. We have an army of lawyers.” His campaign added: “We’re confident that when every lawful ballot is counted, Scott Colom will be Mississippi’s next U.S. senator.” The Mississippi Republican Party said it would “fight like hell to make sure that every legal vote that was cast is counted.” The next dates to watch are Tuesday’s affidavit deadline and Friday, November 13, when counties must certify results.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current margin in the Mississippi Senate race?
Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes, 467,930 to 465,356, with about 97% of ballots counted.
When will the result be final?
Counties must certify their results by Friday, November 13, after affidavit ballots are counted through Tuesday, November 10. Mail ballots must arrive by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10.
What would a Colom win mean for Mississippi?
Colom would become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Mississippi since 1982, and the state’s first Black Democratic senator.
