Mississippi vote counting heats up with Democrats poised to flip another Senate seat

Democrat Scott Colom holds a 1,813-vote advantage over Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, a margin that leaves the Senate race undecided as of Thursday evening. A Colom victory would make him the state's first Black senator since Reconstruction and give Democrats their eighth Senate flip, which would rank among the biggest upsets of the 2026 midterms, according to MS NOW.

The outcome will likely turn on thousands of provisional ballots, which can be counted through Nov. 10, plus roughly 3,600 outstanding mail ballots. Both campaigns sent rival letters to election officials. Hyde-Smith's attorneys asked that affidavit ballots be separated and kept under secure custody; Colom's lawyers said that request has no footing in state law and would violate voters' rights. Marc Elias's firm is directing Colom's legal team, and MS NOW reports Democrats have observers in all 82 counties.

Mississippi is the only state without a recount statute, though some legal scholars believe a judge might order one. Either candidate could seek a ballot box exam. Mike Hurst, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, said the party is coordinating with Hyde-Smith's campaign and is ready to act if officials broke the rules. Colom said his team is prepared to defend the process.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →