By MDA Staff Writer | November 12, 2026
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi voters have delivered one of the most significant political upsets of the 2026 midterm elections, with Democrat Scott Colom defeating Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in a closely contested race that remained unresolved for more than a week after Election Day.
The Associated Press called the race for Colom on Wednesday, November 11, following the counting of additional ballots across the state.
Hyde-Smith conceded, according to national reporting, bringing an end to a contest that drew widespread attention as election officials worked through outstanding ballots.
Colom’s projected victory marks a historic moment for Mississippi. He is set to become the state’s first Black U.S. senator since the Reconstruction era.
The result also represents a major political shift in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide federal elections for decades.
The election took place November 3, but the narrow margin prevented major news organizations from immediately projecting a winner.
Over the following days, county election officials continued reviewing mailed absentee ballots, affidavit ballots and other outstanding votes.
Mississippi’s affidavit ballot process became particularly important as the candidates remained separated by only a few thousand votes.
In Hinds County, one of the state’s largest counties, election officials reviewed 2,426 affidavit ballots. Mississippi Today reported Wednesday that 817 were accepted and 1,609 rejected.
The county’s continuing ballot count became a major focus of the closely watched race.
By Wednesday afternoon, WLBT reported that Colom led Hyde-Smith by 4,404 votes, with approximately 98.6% of the estimated vote counted.
Those figures represented an interim count rather than the final certified election results.
Additional reporting later Wednesday confirmed that major news organizations had projected Colom as the winner.
The election carries particular importance for the Mississippi Delta, a region with a longstanding history of voter participation, civil rights organizing and political engagement.
Communities across the Delta contributed to the statewide vote, although a county-by-county analysis is needed to determine precisely how individual communities influenced the final margin.
Colom’s victory also underscores the importance of completing the ballot-counting process before declaring an election outcome.
The unusually close contest brought attention to election procedures, the handling of affidavit ballots and the responsibility of county officials to review ballots according to state law.
While the Associated Press has projected a winner and Hyde-Smith has conceded, official county certification remains a separate part of the election process.
The outcome is expected to have implications beyond Mississippi as the incoming Congress prepares for a new legislative session.
For Mississippi voters, Wednesday’s announcement brings a major turning point in an election that remained uncertain long after the polls closed.
Colom’s projected victory is not only a change in political representation. It is a historic milestone in Mississippi’s electoral history and a result that will be remembered well beyond the 2026 election.
Source: ; Reuters — Colom victory and Hyde-Smith concession; WLBT — Wednesday afternoon vote totals; Mississippi Today — Hinds County ballot review