Mississippi Senate race is toss-up, with razor-thin margin

Washington — The Senate midterm race in deep-red Mississippi remains unresolved, with Democrat Scott Colom mounting a surprisingly competitive challenge to incumbent GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. With about 96% of the vote in, at one point Wednesday morning just a few dozen votes separated the candidates, a stunningly close result in the Magnolia State. At last report, Colom was leading Hyde-Smith by just over 1,100 votes. Hyde-Smith, 67, has been in the Senate since 2018 and is seeking reelection. But Colom, a district attorney, launched a formidable challenge, and could deliver Democrats yet another victory. Democrats saw a slew of wins in Senate races Tuesday night, including in states that President Trump won by double digits in the 2024 elections.

With more than four flips of GOP-held seats, Democrats secured enough seats to take control of the chamber in the new year. If Colom manages to pull off a victory, he would add to their majority. Colom, 43, is a seventh-generation Mississippian who campaigned on cost of living and health care issues. Democrats began investing in the race in recent weeks, seeing an opportunity for a pickup. But the possible outcome still appeared exceedingly unlikely heading into Election Day.Mr. Trump won Mississippi by 20 points in 2024, and the state hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. Speaking