Mississippi Senate race too close to call as Colom leads Hyde-Smith

Democrat Scott Colom narrowly leads Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's Senate race, with a final outcome potentially delayed until next week as mail-in ballots continue to be counted. The Supreme Court upheld the legality of counting ballots received after Election Day. Colom led by 1,724 votes out of 930,728 counted as of Thursday afternoon, with independent Ty Pinkins holding 2.1% of the vote. Mississippi has no automatic recount provision, and an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 provisional ballots still require verification. A Colom win would make him the first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction and mark a major upset in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. Hyde-Smith previously blocked Colom's federal judgeship nomination in 2023.