Mississippi Senate race: Hyde-Smith faces near-certain defeat, election lawyer says
Election lawyer Norm Eisen says Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) faces a "mathematical impossibility" in her race against Democrat Scott Colom, citing a lead approaching 3,000 votes for the challenger. Eisen, who observed Mississippi's ballot count, said the margin is beyond contestation, unlike the 2000 Florida recount. Colom, a district attorney, led by over 1,000 votes as of Thursday, and Mississippi lacks automatic recounts, requiring court action post-certification. A Colom win would give Mississippi its first Democratic senator since 1982 and first Black senator since Reconstruction. Eisen flagged Republican efforts on affidavit ballots and a potential challenge, while noting certification deadlines run through Dec. 3.