Mississippi Senate race tightens as Democrats lead by 2,500 votes

Democrats hold a narrow lead in Mississippi's US Senate race, with both campaigns preparing for a possible legal battle over remaining ballots that could end nearly 40 years of Republican control. With 97% of votes counted, Democrat Scott Colom leads incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by about 2,500 votes. Roughly 3,600 absentee ballots and an unknown number of provisional ballots remain, with a November 10 deadline for receipt and ID resolution. Mississippi lacks a formal recount procedure, leaving disputes to judges. Hyde-Smith's campaign has requested all provisional ballots be segregated as potential evidence, a move Colom's team calls legally baseless and a privacy risk.