Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) said she remains “feeling very optimistic” about her reelection prospects even as Democratic challenger Scott Colom holds a slim lead with more than 95 percent of the vote tallied, according to Decision Desk HQ, The Hill’s election forecasting partner.
“We got a few thousand out so we’re feeling very optimistic,” Hyde-Smith told CBS News’ Caitlin Huey-Burns in a hallway interview—a rare occurrence for the incumbent, who has generally declined such requests.
The Senate contest in the reliably Republican state remains uncalled as of Tuesday afternoon, with Colom ahead by just over 2,500 votes following last week’s midterms. Mississippi allows mail ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and received within five business days, meaning the tally could shift as additional ballots arrive.
Mississippi Republican Party Chair Mike Hurst told reporters that the state GOP would accept the outcome “if the laws are followed and the voters spoke.”
Asked whether she could have done more to make the race less competitive, Hyde-Smith said, “We worked very hard and had a very good campaign.”
Colom took aim at election forecasters on Monday for underestimating his bid in a state that last elected a Democratic senator in 1982. “At some point, we have to talk about [Cook Political Report] and other ‘prognosticators’ who had me and other southern candidates labeled as solid R for much of the campaign cycle,” Colom wrote on X. “They made it much more difficult to fundraise and are part of the reason the South has been neglected for so long.”
Hyde-Smith’s attorneys recently sent a letter to election commissioners in all 82 Mississippi counties demanding that they segregate affidavit ballots, document their disposition, and preserve “all associated materials.” Colom’s attorney responded that the demands “have no basis in Mississippi law.”
“If you depart from ordinary election procedures as you have been asked to do, you will violate Mississippi voters’ rights and Mississippi election law,” the lawyer wrote.
Democrats are currently projected to hold 54 Senate seats, and if Mississippi and Alaska ultimately swing their way, that number could rise to 56. The Alaska race remains unsettled as officials continue to tabulate ranked-choice results, with Democrat Mary Peltola holding a narrow lead in that contest.
The Mississippi race has drawn national attention as one of the last unresolved congressional elections after Democrats secured sweeping midterm victories, taking control of both chambers of Congress. Colom’s strong showing in a deep-red state has also fueled criticism of political handicappers who long rated the race as safely Republican, a dynamic that could shape how national Democrats approach future contests in the South.
