Colom Takes Lead in Republican Stronghold Forrest County Amid Tight Mississippi Senate Race
The Mississippi Free Press reported that Democratic U. S. Senate candidate Scott Colom was ahead of incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in Forrest County, a historically Republican area that showed a 29-point swing toward Democrats on November fourth, 2026. Earlier counts showed the statewide race tightening. CBS News said that with 96% of precincts reporting, Colom had closed the margin to a few dozen votes.
The BBC noted that Colom held a slim lead while thousands of ballots remained uncounted. NBC News reported a 65-vote lead for Colom and that both campaigns were preparing for possible legal challenges. The Guardian, citing about 96% of ballots counted, said Colom led by 1,138 votes and that Republicans blamed President Trump’s absence from the ballot and the war in Iran. ABC News quoted independent candidate Ty Pinkins, who said his votes came from Republican areas and may have helped Colom. CNBC reported that although Hyde-Smith still led, pending absentee and provisional ballots could decide the final result, and that the Supreme Court had upheld the state’s mail-in ballot law.
