The 2026 Mississippi Senate race: Cindy Hyde-Smith vs. Scott Colom

Active · last development Nov 9: “Colom leads Hyde-Smith as MS Senate race remains uncalled”

Mississippi's 2026 Senate race between Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom, a , remained too close to call days after the November election, with Colom narrowly ahead in a state that has not had a Democratic senator since 1989.[1][2]

See the timeline

With no procedure on the books, both parties sent election lawyers to scrutinize the count.[1][3]

Overview updated Nov 8, 2026

Photo from Mississippi Today, with Colom leads Hyde-Smith as MS Senate race remains uncalled (Nov 9), the story with the most sources this week.
What this arc covers

The 2026 Senate race in Mississippi between Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom: the campaign visits by Kamala Harris and Bill Clinton, Trump's consideration of a visit for Hyde-Smith, and the count after the election, in which Colom narrowly led, the race remained too close to call and national Republicans demanded that affidavit ballots be preserved.

Earliest story we hold Oct 21, 2026 · 9 stories · 51 sources (counted once each) · 19 days

Part ofMississippiScott ColomMississippi State SenateUnited States SenateCindy Hyde-SmithDemocratic PartyKamala HarrisColumbus

Background

CNN wrote that an unpopular president, a charismatic Democratic candidate and an incumbent who had underperformed other Republicans turned the race into the nail-biter of the midterms.[4] Senate Republicans weighed late spending to protect Hyde-Smith and Trump planned a rally for her in Corinth,[5] while Kamala Harris campaigned with Colom in Clarksdale and Columbus and Bill Clinton joined him in Tupelo.[6][7] Recent polls had suggested Hyde-Smith would win easily.[8] The Advocate noted that she had earlier blocked Colom from becoming a judge.[2]

As the count went on, Colom led by just over 1,000 votes,[2] and Republicans hoped a Supreme Court ruling earlier in the year on late-arriving mail ballots would help Hyde-Smith.[1] The National Republican Senatorial Committee demanded that election officials preserve documents and all , a first step toward possible legal action.[3] Harris's campaigning in the midterms is also followed in the arc on her path since 2024.

Supporting stories (8)
  1. Turns out, Mississippi voters were paying attention in the Colom, Hyde-Smith Senate race
  2. Cindy Hyde-Smith Blocked Scott Colom From Becoming a Judge for Being Pro-Trans. Now, He Might Take Her Senate Seat
  3. National Republican Senatorial Committee asks Mississippi to preserve affidavit ballots
  4. How Mississippi became an unlikely Senate battleground
  5. Trump considering Mississippi visit to support Hyde-Smith
  6. Kamala Harris visits MS with Senate candidate Scott Colom
  7. Former President Bill Clinton joins Scott Colom at Tupelo rally
  8. Mississippi Sen. Hyde-Smith's sure-thing re-election is now a dogfight too close to call

Overview updated Nov 8, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Nov 9– 10Colom leads Hyde-Smith as MS Senate race remains uncalled17 articles · 14 sources
2 left, 11 center, 1 right
Nov 5Cindy Hyde-Smith Blocked Scott Colom From Becoming a Judge for Being Pro-Trans. Now, He Might Take Her Senate Seat2 articles · 2 sources
2 left, 0 center, 0 right
Nov 5National Republican Senatorial Committee asks Mississippi to preserve affidavit ballots3 articles · 3 sources
1 left, 1 center, 1 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Oct 21 – 22Trump considering Mississippi visit to support Hyde-Smith3 articles · 3 sources
  2. Oct 22 – 23Kamala Harris visits MS with Senate candidate Scott Colom5 articles · 4 sources
  3. Nov 2 – 9Turns out, Mississippi voters were paying attention in the Colom, Hyde-Smith Senate race121 articles · 46 sources
    1. Nov 2Hyde-Smith and Colom make final pitches in Mississippi Senate midterm race
    2. Nov 4Mississippi Senate race too close to call
    3. Nov 5Mississippi GOP chair says party will accept Colom victory should he win
    4. Nov 6Why it’s still too early to call the US Senate race in Mississippi
    5. Nov 7Scott Colom and Black Mississippians stand on the cusp of Senate history as vote count stretches on
  4. Nov 4 – 5How Mississippi became an unlikely Senate battleground8 articles · 6 sources
  5. Nov 9 – 10Colom leads Hyde-Smith as MS Senate race remains uncalled17 articles · 14 sources

Who covered it, over timeshare of the sources publishing each week, by side

Oct 19, 2026 - Nov 15, 2026

Share of the sources publishing each week that covered it

0%4%8%12%16%20%
Arrow keys move between weeks.
Oct 19, 2026

LeftCenterRight

Week of Nov 9, 2026 - Nov 15, 2026: 2 left, 11 center, 1 right, 3% of the sources that published that week · 18 articles

Show every week as a table
WeekLeftCenterRightArticlesShare
Oct 19, 2026 - Oct 25, 202622181%
Oct 26, 2026 - Nov 1, 20261103under 1%
Nov 2, 2026 - Nov 8, 20261722913410%
Nov 9, 2026 - Nov 15, 20262111183%

33% left · 47% center · 20% right of 51 sources on the spectrum, across 9 stories.

Every storynewest first

  1. November 2026

    1. Nov 9– 10Colom leads Hyde-Smith as MS Senate race remains uncalled17 articles · 14 sources
      2 left, 11 center, 1 right
    2. Nov 5Cindy Hyde-Smith Blocked Scott Colom From Becoming a Judge for Being Pro-Trans. Now, He Might Take Her Senate Seat2 articles · 2 sources
      2 left, 0 center, 0 right
    3. Nov 5National Republican Senatorial Committee asks Mississippi to preserve affidavit ballots3 articles · 3 sources
      1 left, 1 center, 1 right
    4. Nov 4– 5How Mississippi became an unlikely Senate battleground8 articles · 6 sources
      0 left, 6 center, 0 right
    5. Nov 4Mississippi Sen. Hyde-Smith's sure-thing re-election is now a dogfight too close to call2 articles · 2 sources
      0 left, 0 center, 2 right
    6. Nov 2– 9Turns out, Mississippi voters were paying attention in the Colom, Hyde-Smith Senate race121 articles · 46 sources
      15 left, 22 center, 8 right

  2. October 2026

    1. Oct 28– 31Former President Bill Clinton joins Scott Colom at Tupelo rally3 articles · 2 sources
      1 left, 1 center, 0 right
    2. Oct 22– 23Kamala Harris visits MS with Senate candidate Scott Colom5 articles · 4 sources
      2 left, 2 center, 0 right
    3. Oct 21– 22Trump considering Mississippi visit to support Hyde-Smith3 articles · 3 sources
      1 left, 1 center, 1 right