Mississippi Senate midterm race unresolved with surprisingly competitive challenge by Democrat

November 4, 2026 / 10:02 AM EST / CBS News

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…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/