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Scott Colom held a 2,574-vote lead over Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s Senate race on Friday, according to The Associated Press, as election officials continued counting ballots. The result could add to Democrats’ Senate majority, but the race was not decided and both campaigns were involved in disputes over provisional ballots.
Democrat Scott Colom led Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes in Mississippi’s Senate race on Friday, according to The Associated Press, as election officials continued counting ballots. The still-undecided contest could add a seat to the Senate majority Democrats secured in the midterm elections; if Colom wins, he would be the first Democrat elected to the state’s Senate delegation in 44 years and its first Black senator since Reconstruction, according to The New York Times.
The vote margin remained narrow, and the count was not complete. Mail-in ballots could still arrive and provisional ballots could still be verified through Tuesday, according to the Times. Counties have until Nov. 13 to certify their results to the state, leaving several days for additional ballots to be processed and the official totals to take shape.
The race also showed signs of possible legal challenges. Lawyers for Hyde-Smith formally asked election officials on Thursday to preserve provisional ballots. The Times described the request as a signal that she might challenge the results in court; it does not, by itself, establish that a lawsuit has been filed. Colom’s campaign objected in a letter to election officials to parts of the request.
The Mississippi contest was one of two outstanding Senate races identified in the Times’ live coverage. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola held a slim lead over Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan on Friday. Nearly two dozen House races also remained too close to call, meaning the final balance of power could shift as counting and certification continued.
A Possible Mississippi Senate Pickup
Mississippi’s result could increase the size of the Democratic Senate majority, though the source report did not specify the precise final seat count if Colom were declared the winner. The race therefore matters beyond the state: another Democratic seat would affect the party’s margin in a chamber where control can shape legislative priorities and votes.
The potential historical significance is also substantial. The Times reported that Colom would be the first Democrat to capture a Mississippi Senate seat in 44 years and the state’s first Black senator since Reconstruction if he wins. Those outcomes remain conditional on the final count and official certification, not established results.
More broadly, the close contest is part of a midterm outcome in which Democrats had won at least 54 Senate seats and at least 253 House seats as of Friday evening, according to the Times. Those were reported minimums while votes were still being tallied, not final totals. The remaining races could affect the exact size of each party’s representation.
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Midterm Counts Still Underway
Democrats regained control of both the Senate and the House in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to the Times. Its report said voters had voiced displeasure with rising prices during President Donald Trump’s second term. The reported seat counts remained provisional because ballots were still being counted across the country.
In Mississippi, the remaining steps include processing eligible mail-in ballots, verifying provisional ballots and county certification. The legal and procedural steps matter because the current margin is only 2,574 votes, and the count was not yet complete when the Friday update was published.
The Times also reported that Republicans were debating responsibility for the party’s poor midterm performance. Trump argued on social media that Republicans had suffered because he was not on the ballot. Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah instead attributed voters’ decisions to the economy under Trump’s leadership. Those explanations are political assessments, separate from the confirmed vote-count status in Mississippi.
“Scott Colom was leading Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes.”
— The New York Times, reporting the Associated Press vote count
Ballots and Challenges Still Pending
Mississippi’s winner had not been determined in the Friday report. The number of ballots still to be counted, their distribution between the candidates and the extent to which they might change the margin were not specified. Mail ballots could continue arriving and provisional ballots could continue to be verified through Tuesday.
It was also unclear whether Hyde-Smith would file a court challenge. Her lawyers’ request to preserve provisional ballots may indicate preparation for a possible dispute, but the report did not say that a lawsuit had been filed. Colom’s campaign objected to parts of that request; the report did not detail the disputed provisions or describe any ruling on them.
The reported statewide Democratic seat totals could also change as unresolved Senate and House contests are counted. The Friday figures were minimums, and the final national totals were not yet available.
Counting Through Certification
Mississippi officials are expected to continue processing mail ballots and verifying provisional ballots through Tuesday, according to the Times. Counties have until Nov. 13 to certify results to the state. Further vote updates, any formal legal filings and the certification process will determine when the contest’s status becomes clearer.
The Alaska Senate race and nearly two dozen closely contested House races also remained unresolved in the report. Their outcomes, alongside Mississippi’s, could refine the final breakdown of seats after the midterms. Until those counts and official procedures are complete, the reported leads should not be treated as final results.
Key Questions
Who was leading Mississippi’s Senate race?
Scott Colom, the Democratic nominee, led Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes on Friday, according to The Associated Press as cited by The New York Times. Counting was still underway.
Has Colom won the race?
No. The Friday report described a lead, not a final result. Mail ballots could still arrive, provisional ballots could still be verified, and counties had until Nov. 13 to certify results.
Could the result affect control of the Senate?
Democrats had already secured Senate control in the midterms, according to the Times. A Colom victory could add to their majority, but the report did not give a final seat count for that outcome.
Is Hyde-Smith challenging the result in court?
The report said her lawyers asked election officials to preserve provisional ballots, which the Times described as a signal she might challenge the results. It did not report that a lawsuit had been filed.
When will Mississippi certify its results?
Mississippi counties have until Nov. 13 to certify their election results to the state. Mail ballots could arrive and provisional ballots could be verified through Tuesday, according to the report.
Source: nytimes.com
