Colom leads Hyde-Smith in Mississippi Senate race, outcome not yet called

Democrat Scott Colom holds a narrow lead over Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's Senate race, and the contest had not been called as of Tuesday night. Colom led by 1,138 votes. If that margin holds, he would become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Mississippi since 1982, ending a long stretch in which the state's seats have remained in Republican hands.

The race drew national attention in part because of a campaign ad centered on beef prices. Hyde-Smith, a cattle rancher and former state agriculture commissioner, said in February that there were "so many proteins to choose from" when asked about rising costs. Colom's campaign built a spot titled "Pick another protein" around that remark, and the ad drew renewed attention after the election. Federal figures cited in the reporting show ground beef averaged $6.79 a pound in September, up from $5.55 in January 2025, a jump that gave the ad its immediate resonance with grocery shoppers.

Affordability ran through the entire campaign, alongside wages, the cost of living, hospital access and jobs. Colom outraised Hyde-Smith, bringing in about $5 million to her just over $3 million. Trump has described "affordability" as a Democratic con job or hoax, a framing that puts the Mississippi race in the middle of a national argument over how voters should weigh the economy. Yet exit polling from the Associated Press found that cost of living and government corruption were among the top issues on voters' minds, suggesting the message had traction beyond the party's base.

The contest carries personal history between the two candidates. In 2022, Hyde-Smith blocked Colom's nomination to a federal judgeship, and now the two are competing directly for the same Senate seat. Colom has gained ground in areas that have not traditionally favored Democrats. Forrest County, named for Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest, now favors Colom, and seven counties that Hyde-Smith carried in 2020 now lean his way. Those shifts have made the margin a subject of close attention as returns continue to come in.

Mississippi law does not permit automatic or candidate-requested recounts, so any challenge to the result would have to be settled in court. Democrats are sending assistance for the remaining count, a sign that the party views the outcome as still in play. The race also unfolded on the same night that Democrats won control of both congressional chambers, a broader shift that places the Mississippi result within a national contest over costs, wages and government spending. How the count is finalized will determine whether the state sends a Democrat to Washington for the first time in more than four decades.

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Caroline Mercer

World News Correspondent

Caroline Mercer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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