Scott Colom Leads Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi Midterm Election

Mississippi’s midterm election has narrowed into a tense, high-stakes contest between Democratic challenger Scott Colom and Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, leaving the deep-red state on the edge of a historic political shift.

With 96.9% of expected votes counted, Colom leads with 467,930 votes, or 49.1%, while Hyde-Smith trails closely with 465,356 votes, representing 48.8% of the total, according to data reported on November 7, 2026. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins has secured 20,028 votes, or 2.1%, out of 953,314 total ballots tallied so far.

If Colom manages to hold his narrow margin and prevail, he will become Mississippi’s first Black senator since the Reconstruction era. The exceptionally tight race has drawn national scrutiny, shifting 23.16 points toward Democrats compared with the results of the 2024 presidential election across the state.

Colom Needs 53.2% of Remaining Votes to Overtake Hyde-Smith

Decision Desk tallies show roughly 31,000 estimated votes remaining uncounted across the state. To catch or overtake Colom, Hyde-Smith would need to capture approximately 53.2% of those outstanding ballots.

Election officials continue to work through provisional paperwork as final totals remain unverified. As of Friday, state records indicate that 9,242 affidavit ballots had been processed, alongside 3,139 outstanding mail-in ballots. Officials noted that the final tally could still shift because voters retain the right to resolve outstanding voter identification issues up until November 10.

In Alcorn County, where 95% of the expected vote is in, Hyde-Smith holds 8,431 votes, or 75.5%, to Colom’s 2,538 votes, or 22.7%, with Pinkins at 1.7%. Meanwhile, in Amite County, with 99% reporting, Hyde-Smith leads with 2,978 votes, or 58.2%, against Colom’s 2,053 votes, or 40.1%.

Attala County reflects a much narrower margin with 95% of votes in, where Hyde-Smith’s 2,983 votes, or 50.5%, narrowly edge out Colom’s 2,829 votes, or 47.9%. Election supervisors across the state await the processing of remaining cured ballots before any final outcome can be declared.

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