The Democratic challenger is projected to defeat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith after days of close counting.
Read the storyNovember 11, 2026, 5:42 p.m. Central time.
The Associated Press has projected Democratic challenger Scott Colom the winner of Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race over Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, after more than a week of close counting.
The AP called the race Wednesday after additional county results expanded Colom’s lead. The projection is not a certified result; county officials are still reviewing and finalizing ballots.
AP said an update from Jackson County put Colom ahead by 4,669 votes out of 962,237 counted, a margin of about half a percentage point at the time of its call. Counts may change as remaining ballots are reviewed.
The news agency said fewer than 12,000 votes remained for counties to review before Friday’s county certification deadline, and some provisional ballots may not qualify to be counted. AP said it considered the size of the lead and the pattern of late returns in making its projection.
Colom, a district attorney, would become Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction if he takes office, AP reported. The race drew national attention in a state that has long elected Republicans to the Senate.
The campaigns have said legal challenges are possible, Mississippi Today reported. AP says Mississippi has no automatic recount law and a candidate would need a court order for an election review. This updates Newstro’s earlier coverage of the uncalled race.
November 3, 2026: Voters went to the polls. November 11: AP projected Colom the winner after additional county updates. November 13: County certification deadline, according to AP.
The star marks the approximate central area of Mississippi; the election is statewide.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Associated Press: why it called the race · Associated Press: Senate race · Mississippi Today: results and legal context · Newstro: earlier count
Hero and thumbnail: conceptual editorial illustration, not a photograph.
