Mississippi Democrat Scott Colom extended his lead against Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) in the Senate race, outpacing her by just over 1,800 ballots.
Initially, the election was a lot closer, with Colom leading the incumbent by fewer than 100 votes. As of Friday morning, the Democratic challenger has garnered 49% support, while Hyde-Smith has received 48.9%. The ballots were last counted at 5:44 p.m. Thursday, with 96% of all votes tabulated so far.
The Associated Press has not called the race yet as both candidates wait on more mail-in ballots. In Mississippi, mail-in ballots can arrive up to five business days after Election Day. Therefore, it’s likely the final results won’t be called until next week.
Colom and Hyde-Smith are equally bullish about their chances at winning the election. Colom’s campaign manager said they’re “confident” that his “lead will continue to grow as the remaining votes are counted,” and Hyde-Smith tentatively claimed victory.
“Cindy Hyde-Smith is going to represent Mississippi in the United States Senate for the next six years,” the senator said on X. “We believe thousands of votes remain to be counted from dozens of Republican counties, and we are confident those votes will reinforce her path to victory.”
“Election officials are continuing the normal process of counting outstanding ballots, including absentee ballots,” she added. “They must have the time to complete that work and ensure every lawful ballot is accurately counted and every Mississippian’s voice is heard.”
Hyde-Smith’s campaign sent a letter to county commissioners and circuit clerks in all of Mississippi’s 82 counties on Thursday, demanding that they immediately separate all provisional ballots cast from regular and absentee ballots.
“These measures are necessary to ensure that each affidavit ballot’s eligibility for counting and ultimate disposition can be verified,” the letter stated.
The demands set up a potential legal battle, for which Democrats are already preparing. One day after the general election, Democratic elections attorney Marc Elias said his law firm would be involved in the legal effort to ensure Colom wins. By late Thursday, Elias announced that the Elias Law Group would be representing Colom.
In response to Hyde-Smith’s letter, Colom’s campaign called her demands “unlawful and extraordinary measures” that allegedly threaten election integrity.
“Those demands have no basis in Mississippi law, and if you depart from ordinary election procedures as you have been asked to do, you will violate Mississippi voters’ rights and Mississippi election law,” lawyers for Colom’s campaign wrote in a letter. A copy was sent to Elias, Elias Law Group partner David Fox, and Mississippi Republican Secretary of State Michael Watson.
Hyde-Smith said her team is preparing for the possibility that Democratic lawyers “pull out every stop” to win the race, adding that she is focused on “completing the count.”
Mississippi law does not account for automatic or requested recounts, so it’s unlikely the losing candidate will be able to make their case for an official recount.
It remains to be seen if Hyde-Smith, who’s served in the Senate since 2018, can win a second full term. But if Colom wins, he will be the first black senator from Mississippi since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era.