Mississippi Senate Race Still Undecided as DeSoto Backs Colom

The Mississippi Senate race between Democrat Scott Colom and Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith was still undecided Wednesday, with the two separated by fewer than 100 votes and thousands of ballots left to count. Both candidates said they expect to win. In DeSoto County, unofficial results show Colom finished ahead by more than 3,300 votes.

Where the Mississippi Senate Race Stands

As of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, with an estimated 95.6 percent of votes counted, Colom had 462,857 votes and Hyde-Smith had 462,792, according to Action News 5. That is a 65-vote margin, with each candidate at 48.9 percent. Independent Ty Pinkins had 19,938 votes, about 2.1 percent. At 3 a.m., Colom’s lead had been 43 votes.

Mississippi does not hold runoffs in federal general elections, so whoever finishes with the most votes wins the seat. No Democrat has represented Mississippi in the U.S. Senate since 1989.

Both Campaigns Say They Will Win

At a 10 a.m. news conference in Jackson, Colom told supporters, “Where we are, where the ballots are, we’re gonna win.” He said his campaign has local lawyers watching the count and that his main concern is that the process “goes according to the law,” not speed.

Colom, the district attorney for a north Mississippi judicial district, said he would focus on lowering costs and protecting hospitals if his lead holds. If it does, he would be the first Black U.S. senator from Mississippi since Hiram Revels during Reconstruction.

Hyde-Smith’s campaign released a statement saying the margin “is measured in just dozens of votes” and that thousands of affidavit and absentee ballots still must be processed and verified under state law. “We remain confident that when every legally cast vote is fully and accurately counted, Mississippians will have reelected Cindy Hyde-Smith,” the statement said. On election night, Hyde-Smith told supporters in Flowood that Democrats “got out and worked” but that there were not enough of them.

Affidavit Ballots Could Decide It

The outcome now depends largely on affidavit ballots. Those are cast when a voter’s eligibility can’t be confirmed at the polls, and local election officials must verify each one before it is counted. The Colom campaign estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 affidavit ballots remain statewide, according to Mississippi Today. The Hyde-Smith campaign said its internal numbers show the senator winning.

How DeSoto County Voted

DeSoto County, the state’s third-largest county, gave Colom a clear edge. The county’s unofficial summary, with all 47 Election Day precincts reporting, showed:

• Scott Colom (D): 28,103 votes (51.80 percent)
• Cindy Hyde-Smith (R): 24,780 votes (45.68 percent)
• Ty Pinkins (I): 1,301 votes (2.40 percent)

Turnout in DeSoto County was about 45 percent, with 54,402 ballots cast. Several polling places, including precincts in Olive Branch, reported hours-long lines. The Mississippi Democratic Party briefly filed a lawsuit seeking extended voting hours in the county before dropping it Wednesday morning. DeSoto County’s affidavit and remaining absentee ballots will be part of the final count, and results are unofficial until certified.

Related: DeSoto County election results: all 47 precincts counted | Olive Branch voters face long lines after machine trouble

Source: Action News 5 / WLBT; additional reporting from Action News 5 (Hyde-Smith statement), Action News 5 / WLOX and Mississippi Today (republished)