Mississippi Senate race unresolved in surprisingly competitive contest

Washington — The Senate midterm race in deep-red Mississippi remains unresolved Wednesday morning, with Democrat Scott Colom mounting a surprisingly competitive challenge to incumbent GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. 

With 96% of the vote in, just a few dozen votes separated the candidates, a stunningly close result in the Magnolia State.

Hyde-Smith, 67, has been in the Senate since 2018 and is seeking reelection. But Colom, a district attorney, launched a formidable challenge, and could deliver Democrats yet another victory. 

Democrats saw a slew of wins in Senate races Tuesday night, including in states that President Trump won by double digits in the 2024 elections. With more than four flips of GOP-held seats, Democrats secured enough seats to take control of the chamber in the new year. If Colom manages to pull off a victory, he would add to their majority. 

Colom, 43, is a seventh-generation Mississippian who campaigned on cost of living and health care issues. Democrats began investing in the race in recent weeks, seeing an opportunity for a pickup. But the possible outcome still appeared exceedingly unlikely heading into Election Day.

Mr. Trump won Mississippi by 20 points in 2024, and the state hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. 

Speaking to supporters in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday, Colom said, "The results are all trending in our direction."

"We are trending in counties that people thought we had no chance to compete in," Colom said. "And we're winning them."

The unresolved race in Mississippi comes as Alaska's Senate race is also outstanding, leaving the size of Democrats' majority up in the air.