Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) said she remains “very optimistic” about her chances of holding her Senate seat, even as Democratic challenger Scott Colom clings to a narrow lead with more than 95 percent of the vote counted. The race has yet to be called by Decision Desk HQ, The Hill’s election forecasting partner.
In a rare hallway interview with CBS News’ Caitlin Huey-Burns—a setting Hyde-Smith has previously avoided—the incumbent said, “We got a few thousand out so we’re feeling very optimistic.” Her comments came as Colom’s advantage stood at just over 2,500 votes.
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.” When asked whether she could have run a stronger campaign to avoid such a tight race, Hyde-Smith defended her efforts: “We worked very hard and had a very good campaign.”
The contest is one of only two congressional races left uncalled nationwide, alongside Alaska’s Senate race, where the vote count continues in a ranked-choice format. Democrats have already secured control of both chambers of Congress, and their Senate majority could expand to 56 seats if Mississippi and Alaska break their way.
Mississippi’s ballot-counting process remains ongoing because mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can be received and counted up to five business days afterward. That extended timeline has kept the race in limbo.
On Monday, Colom took aim at election forecasters 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.” His criticism echoes his earlier frustration with the prognosticators.
Meanwhile, Hyde-Smith’s legal team has sent a letter to election commissioners in all 82 Mississippi counties demanding that they separate affidavit ballots, document their disposition, and preserve “all associated materials.” Colom’s attorney fired back in a response letter, asserting that the demands “have no basis in Mississippi law.” The lawyer warned that departing from ordinary procedures “will violate Mississippi voters’ rights and Mississippi election law.”
The tight finish in deep-red Mississippi underscores the broader political environment that saw Democrats post sweeping midterm gains. As the count drags on, both campaigns are digging in, with Hyde-Smith projecting confidence and Colom crying foul over the way his candidacy was framed from the start.
