Mississippi Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Scott Colom are neck-and-neck on the day after Election Day, with Mr. Colom leading the race by just a few dozen votes with 96% of ballots counted.
The last Democrat to serve as a senator from Mississippi was John C. Stennis, who served from 1947 until he retired in 1989.
Both Mississippi Senate seats have been occupied by the GOP since 1989.
People were interested in these podcasts
Mr. Colom’s campaign seemed like a long shot, but on the day after Election Day, only a handful of votes could determine whether a Democrat sits in The Magnolia State.
“Our race is too close to call. We are going to make sure every single vote has been counted, and I am confident we will ultimately flip this seat,” Mr. Colom said in a statement early Wednesday morning. “Voters know what’s at stake and we saw historic voter turnout in this election across Mississippi, including thousands voting for the first time. There is a lot of work to be done and we are going to make sure every voice is heard.”
Mississippi’s provisional ballots, a fail-safe ballot for voters at the polls, still need to be counted, as they were not included in the initial vote.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.