The Mississippi Senate race between Democrat Scott Colom and Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith was still uncalled on Thursday, November 5, two days after Election Day. Colom led by about 1,100 votes out of more than 940,000 counted. Mississippi also has no recount law, so the final answer may take weeks.
Key facts (as of November 2026)
- Colom had 464,926 votes (49.0%) and Hyde-Smith 463,788 (48.9%) with about 96% of the expected vote counted, according to ABC News and AP data.
- Mississippi’s Secretary of State’s office told ABC News the state has no formal recount process, and candidates cannot request one.
- Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can arrive until November 10, and counties must certify their results by November 13.
Democrats win control of the House and Senate, networks project
Where does the Mississippi Senate race stand?
It is a near tie, and no network has projected a winner. As of Thursday morning, NBC News listed the contest as too close to call, with Colom ahead by just over 1,100 votes and roughly 96% of the vote in. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins had about 2.1%, or close to 20,000 votes, per ABC News.
The result will not decide who runs the Senate. Democrats already hold 54 seats to 44 for Republicans in NBC's count, with Mississippi and Alaska's Senate contest still open. Instead, it will settle the size of the new majority, and it is being watched as a test of how a state with no recount rules handles a razor-thin federal race.
What ballots are still left to count?
Two groups of ballots remain, and nobody can say for sure how many there are. The first is late mail ballots. Mississippi counts them if they were postmarked by Election Day and arrive within five business days, which puts the cutoff at November 10.
Secretary of State Michael Watson said on Wednesday that about 3,600 mail ballots could still come in, ABC News reported. The second group is affidavit ballots, Mississippi's name for provisional ballots. Voters cast them when their name or address can't be confirmed at the polling place, and county officials then check each one by hand.
Estimates of what is left differ a lot, so treat them with care:
| Estimate | Who said it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| About 3,600 | Secretary of State Michael Watson (via ABC News) | Mail ballots that could still arrive by Nov. 10 |
| About 8,500 | Decision Desk HQ (via The Hill) | All ballots still outstanding as of Wednesday |
| About 15,000 | Colom's campaign (via ABC News and The Hill) | Provisional ballots, a campaign estimate from election night |
| No figure | Secretary of State's office (via ABC News) | Affidavit ballots, which counties are still processing |
The late-ballot window has its own history. Republicans, led by the Republican National Committee, argued that federal law requires ballots to arrive by Election Day. However, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 in June that Mississippi may keep counting ballots that arrive later, as long as they were postmarked on time, The Hill reported.
Can either candidate ask for a recount?
No, not in the usual sense. Many states order a recount automatically when a margin is tiny, or let the trailing candidate pay for one. Mississippi does neither. The Secretary of State's office told ABC News that a recount can't be requested or triggered automatically.
What the law does allow is a "ballot box exam" after certification, the office said. In that review, a campaign looks over the ballot materials, and if it finds problems it can go to court. University of Mississippi law professor Ronald Rychlak told The Hill that a judge could then order a full or partial recount, but only if the campaign shows evidence of mistakes.
What could happen if the Mississippi Senate race stays this close?
The likely next step is a fight over individual ballots, followed by certification. Mississippi law sets out ways to contest primaries and state legislative races, but it has no specific process for contesting a general election for Congress, according to The Hill. As a result, judges would largely decide how any dispute is handled.
There is also a federal backstop. The Constitution makes each chamber of Congress the judge of its own members' elections. So if the outcome is still disputed in January, the new Senate that meets on January 3, 2027, could have the final word.
Both campaigns say they expect to come out ahead. On election night, Colom said on X that his team would make sure every vote is counted and that he believes the seat will flip. Meanwhile, Hyde-Smith told supporters that Democrats had turned out in large numbers but not enough to beat her, and that she would stay in the Senate, according to Mississippi Today as cited by The Hill.
How did a safe Republican seat get this close?
Mississippi voted for Donald Trump with 61% in 2024, and Hyde-Smith won her last race in 2020 with 54%, per ABC News. She first joined the Senate by appointment in 2018. The state has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982.
Colom is a district attorney covering four counties near the Alabama line and was once nominated to be a federal judge. If he wins, he would be the state's first Black U.S. senator since Reconstruction, ABC News noted. Hyde-Smith campaigned with Trump at a rally last month. The race tightened as Democrats gained ground nationally and won control of both chambers, flipping seven Senate seats in NBC's count.
How to watch the results coverage live
The networks will report the call as soon as their decision desks make one. Our guide to watching midterm results live lists the official free and paid options. For floor coverage once the new Congress meets, the C-SPAN live stream is the place to start, and the CNN and Fox News guides cover both cable networks. Readers in Britain and Europe can follow our guide to watching the US midterms from the UK and Europe.
Coming soon: the NewsLive streaming app. We're building one subscription for live international news on Android, Roku, Fire TV and desktop. The service is under development. See what the NewsLive app will offer and join the early-access list.
For the national picture, see our results and forecast tracker page and the rest of our election coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Who is winning the Mississippi Senate race?
Democrat Scott Colom led Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by about 1,100 votes on Thursday morning, with roughly 96% counted. No winner has been projected, and the lead could still change as mail and affidavit ballots are added.
When will the Mississippi Senate race be called?
There is no set date. Late mail ballots can arrive until November 10, and counties must certify by November 13. If the margin stays very small, networks may wait for certification or for court rulings before calling it.
Does Mississippi have automatic recounts?
No. The Secretary of State's office says the state has no formal recount process. A campaign can examine ballot materials after certification and take any problems to court, where a judge could order a recount.
