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.
Counting the remaining ballots could take days. A recount would require a court order, as Mississippi does not have an automatic or candidate-requested recount.
General elections for federal office in Mississippi require only a plurality, so there will be no runoff.
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Mr. Colom led by 28 votes shortly after midnight and by 43 votes shortly before 4 a.m. Wednesday.
His campaign seemed like a long shot, but on the day after Election Day, only a handful of votes could determine whether a Democrat represents the Magnolia State.
Mississippi’s provisional ballots were not included in the initial vote and still must be reviewed by election officials.
Some voters who cast this ballot must follow up with the circuit clerk’s office within five business days after Election Day, or by Nov. 10, for the ballot to count, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The Colom campaign estimated 10,000 to 15,000 affidavit ballots remained outstanding.
Mississippi is the only state without a recount provision in state law, according to Ballotpedia.
The state also has no mechanism under state law to contest a U.S. Senate general election, according to Election Law Blog. While it allows some ways to challenge primary elections, including for the Senate, the election code speaks only of countywide contests for general elections.
What could have been a long shot to topple a seat that’s been held by Ms. Hyde-Smith since 2018 is now close to joining Tuesday’s blue wave.
“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.”
The last Democrat to serve as a senator from Mississippi was John Stennis, who served from 1947 until he retired in 1989.
Both Mississippi Senate seats have been occupied by the GOP since 1989.
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