Democrat Leads Mississippi Senate Race by Narrow Margin

Democrat Scott Colom is ahead of Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by 65 votes with 96% of the ballots counted, according to the latest tally released Wednesday morning. About 50,000 votes are still outstanding, and Mississippi law does not require an automatic recount for close contests.

Hyde-Smith, the first woman to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Congress, was elected in 2018 and has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, who carried the state by more than 22 points in the 2024 presidential election.

If Colom secures the seat, he would become the first Black U.S. senator from Mississippi since 1875. The race has drawn national Democratic attention, with additional funding directed to the campaign in recent weeks as part of a broader effort to flip traditionally Republican Senate seats.

Colom, a district attorney, has emphasized his Christian faith and economic issues in his campaign, criticizing several of President Trump's policies, including the war in Iran and rising living costs. Trump campaigned with Hyde-Smith last month, stating, "because Cindy's doing great, but I just got to make sure. I can't take a chance."

State officials allow mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day and received within five days to be counted, which could extend the final result. The Mississippi electorate, which includes the nation's highest proportion of African-American residents at nearly 40%, saw high voter turnout, according to Charles Taylor, director of the NAACP's Mississippi branch. > "We saw long lines for absentee voting. We saw long lines in person yesterday. Folks everywhere were motivated across the state."

Colom told the Washington Post that Democrats have historically allocated resources elsewhere in Mississippi, noting, "National Democrats are conditioned not to care about Mississippi. To me, you can't be a party that cares about working people if you don't care about working rural people in Mississippi who are struggling."

The final count is expected to take several days as the remaining ballots are processed.