Democrat Scott Colom is narrowly leading Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate election, with the race remaining too close to call Wednesday as officials continue counting ballots in a state President Donald Trump carried by more than 20 percentage points in 2024.

According to unofficial results from the Associated Press, Colom held a lead of just 43 votes Wednesday morning, with 462,821 votes to Hyde-Smith’s 462,778. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins had received 19,935 votes. Approximately 96% of the expected vote had been reported, leaving thousands of ballots still to be counted and the outcome uncertain.

Colom, a district attorney from northern Mississippi, addressed supporters early Wednesday and expressed confidence that the remaining ballots could push him across the finish line. “The results are all trending in our direction,” he said, pointing to counties where his campaign had performed better than expected. “We are trending in counties that people thought we had no chance to compete in. And we're winning them.”

Hyde-Smith, 67, has served in the Senate since 2018 and is seeking another term. She was appointed to the seat following the retirement of Sen. Thad Cochran and subsequently won a special election. Colom, 43, campaigned on issues including the cost of living and health care, with Democratic organizations increasing their investment in the race during the final weeks after identifying a potential opportunity.

The result is particularly significant given Mississippi’s political history. Trump won the state by approximately 20 points in 2024, and Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1982, when longtime Sen. John Stennis won his final term. A Colom victory would represent a major shift in the state’s congressional representation and add another seat to the Democrats’ Senate majority.

With approximately 96% of the expected vote reported, thousands of ballots remained outstanding, including affidavit and mail-in ballots. A significant portion of the remaining vote was expected to come from Hinds County, a Democratic stronghold, while coastal counties where Hyde-Smith has maintained support could also influence the final margin. Colom has pointed to his performance in counties where Democrats were not initially expected to compete as evidence that he could overcome the incumbent's lead.

The state Democratic Party has also filed a legal challenge over alleged problems at several DeSoto County precincts, including delayed openings and ballot shortages. Those allegations could become part of a broader dispute over the final count. With the margin separated by only a few dozen votes, the outstanding ballots could shift the result in either direction, and neither campaign can yet claim victory.

Mississippi does not automatically conduct a recount simply because a race is close. A candidate seeking a recount would need to pursue the available legal process. The exceptionally narrow margin means the contest could remain unresolved until election officials complete the count and address any outstanding ballot disputes.

The Mississippi contest is one of the remaining unresolved Senate races following Tuesday’s midterms. Alaska’s Senate race is also still outstanding, with Democrat Mary Peltola challenging Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. The final outcomes will determine the precise size of the Democratic majority in the next Congress.