Politics · November 4, 2026
Mississippi, Alaska Senate Races Remain Too Close to Call
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The U.S. Senate race in Mississippi between incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Scott Colom remains too close to call as ballot counting continues following the November 2026 midterms. With approximately 96% of the expected vote reported, Colom has maintained a narrow and fluctuating lead. The competitive nature of the race has surprised many observers, as Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982 and the state was won by President Trump by 20 points in 2024. Democrats have already secured enough seats elsewhere to take control of the Senate in the upcoming term, and a Colom victory would further expand that majority.
Read the original coverage
How Colom Changed a Long Shot in Mississippi Into a Race Too Close to Call
Read at The New York Times ↗What happens if Mississippi’s Senate race ends in a near tie? The state has no recount law.
Read at Washington Post ↗- ABC NewsMBFC: Left-Center
What to know about recounts in Mississippi with razor-thin margin in Senate race
Read at ABC News ↗ - The HillMBFC: Least Biased
Democrat Scott Colom adds to lead in Mississippi Senate ballot counting
Read at The Hill ↗ - Washington TimesMBFC: Right-Center
WATCH: Colom says lawyers will protect 'integrity' of election as counting continues in Mississippi
Read at Washington Times ↗ - CBS NewsMBFC: Right-Center
Mississippi Senate race still a toss-up, with razor-thin margin
Read at CBS News ↗ - NPRMBFC: Left-Center
No one knows how many ballots are outstanding in Mississippi's Senate race
Read at NPR ↗ - Just the NewsMBFC: Far Right
Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican incumbent Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's undecided Senate race
Read at Just the News ↗ - The Epoch TimesMBFC: Right-Center
Mississippi, Alaska Senate Races Remain Too Close to Call
Read at The Epoch Times ↗
Reported across the spectrum
- Incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is facing Democratic challenger Scott Colom.
- The race remains uncalled as of several days after the election.
- Approximately 96% of the expected vote has been counted.
- Democrats have already secured a majority in the U.S. Senate for the next term.
- Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982.
- Scott Colom currently serves as a district attorney.
Reported by only some outlets
- CBS News reports Colom led by over 1,800 votes on Friday morning.
- Just the News reports Colom led by over 1,700 votes on Thursday afternoon.
- The Epoch Times reports Colom held a 1,145-vote lead as of November 5.
- ABC News reports Colom at 466,775 votes and Hyde-Smith at 464,962 votes.
- Just the News reports independent candidate Ty Pinkins holds 2.1% of the vote.
- The National Republican Senatorial Committee has asked Mississippi to preserve affidavit ballots.
- Mississippi law does not provide for automatic or requested recounts.
- Colom would be the first Black senator from Mississippi since the Reconstruction Era if elected.
Left-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
emphasize the 'stunning' and 'surprising' nature of the challenge in a 'deep-red' state, highlight Democratic gains in other Trump-won states, and detail Colom's campaign strategy of courting Republican voters.
Right-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
characterize the Democratic lead as 'clinging' or narrow, while highlighting Republican efforts to preserve affidavit ballots and the presence of third-party candidates.
Centrist outlets tend to focus on…
focus on the technicalities of the expanding lead and the potential for a Colom victory to 'pad' the incoming Democratic Senate majority.
Where coverage diverges
Coverage diverges along left/right lines — see Framing tab for specifics.
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About these outlets
- CBS NewsMBFC: Right-Center
- ABC NewsMBFC: Left-Center
- The HillMBFC: Least Biased
- Just the NewsMBFC: Far Right
- The Epoch TimesMBFC: Right-Center
- The Washington PostAllSides: Lean Left (News)MBFC: Left-Center
- The Washington TimesMBFC: Right-Center
- The New York TimesAllSides: Lean Left (News)MBFC: Left-Center
- NPRMBFC: Left-Center
CadNews does not determine absolute truth or endorse political viewpoints. It compares publicly available reporting, identifies shared facts, highlights framing differences, and flags uncertainty.