The winner of Mississippi’s U.S. Senate Race is still being determined. Just after midnight, Democrat Scott Colom was only a handful of votes ahead of incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith.
“I’m excited about our momentum,” Colom told supporters around 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday in downtown Jackson. “We’re trending in counties that people thought we had no chance of competing in – and we’re winning in them!"
Elise Catrion Gregg
Votes still being counted in Mississippi's U.S. Senate race, with Democrat Scott Colom just ahead
Hyde-Smith also spoke to supporters who rallied for her at the Sheraton in Flowood.
“I blocked Scott Colom from being a federal judge,” Hyde-Smith said, “And you blocked him from being a U.S. Senator.”
“It has been such an amazing, amazing path and I think we’ve run a very good campaign.”
Tiara Jackson
Incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith remains hopeful as vote count continues for Mississippi's U.S. Senate race
The cliffhanger comes after predictions that the U.S. would see a Blue wave this midterm. Though Mississippi was still considered a Republican stronghold, it did go from being a “safe” Republican state to “likely” Republican in October.
As of Monday, the Mississippi Secretary of State's office reported that they'd received a whopping116,453 absentee ballots. That'sa surge from the last midterm election in 2022, with DeSoto, Harrison and Hinds counties in the lead for ballots received.
Redistricting efforts may have given voters the push they needed to get to the polls, especially in the South.
Several state leaders were at Colom’s party as well. State Representative Zakiya Summers, who represents parts of Hinds and Rankin counties, said she’s encouraged by the campaign, regardless of the outcome, and sees it as building a foundation for Mississippi.
“2026 is the build up for 2027,” Summers said. “No matter what the results are tonight, we're building momentum for next year. And we know how important next year is because it's all statewide elections.”
Mississippi, unlike several other Southern counterparts, has not redistricted yet following the Supreme Court’s decision that gutted parts of the Voting Rights Act.
That could be done by special session sometime before the state legislature’s next regular session, though a proposed session was called off earlier this year.