Surprisingly Competitive Democrat Challenge Leaves Mississippi Senate Midterm Race Unresolved as Votes Near Final Count
A narrow Mississippi contest
With 96% of the vote counted Wednesday morning, only a few dozen votes separated Hyde-Smith and Colom. The close tally left the Senate race unresolved. Hyde-Smith, 67, has served in the Senate since 2018 and is seeking reelection. Colom, 43, is a district attorney and a seventh-generation Mississippian.
Democrats see a possible gain
Democrats won a series of Senate races Tuesday, including in states Trump carried by double digits in 2024. After flipping more than four Republican-held seats, they secured enough seats to control the chamber in the new year.
A Colom victory would add to that majority. Democrats began investing in the Mississippi contest in recent weeks, though a win had appeared exceedingly unlikely before Election Day.
Two races remain outstanding
Trump won Mississippi by 20 points in 2024, and the state has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. The close contest therefore marks a notable challenge for the Republican incumbent. Alaska’s Senate race was also still outstanding, leaving the eventual size of the Democrats’ majority uncertain.
Key points
- Only a few dozen votes separated Hyde-Smith and Colom with 96% counted.
- A Colom win would add to Democrats’ new Senate majority.
- Trump carried Mississippi by 20 points in 2024.
- Alaska’s unresolved Senate race also left the majority’s size uncertain.