Republican U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks to guests at her election night watch party at the Sheraton Flowood The Refuge Hotel in Flowood, Mississippi, US November 3, 2026.
The Lincoln Project's Stuart Stevens is encouraging officials in Mississippi to call the election after the latest dump of votes from Hines County resulted in a gain of over 700 votes for Democrat Scott Colom and 96 for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.).
MS NOW's election team ranked the race as now "leans Dem," as it would take well over 60 percent for Hyde-Smith to overcome Colom's 4,404-vote lead.
"Look, Ole Miss played Georgia Saturday night, and theywere 42 to 7 behind with twominutes to go, and they had abetter chance than CindyHyde-Smith to win. This thingis done," said Stevens, who is from Jackson. "It should be called.It's a disservice to thestate not to call it, because heneeds to be up in Washingtondoing all the briefings and orientation that senators do."
"If she were towin 90 percent of the ballotsoutstanding, she still wouldlose," he said, though it was hyperbole, not an actual estimate.
"So, look, somethingremarkable has happened here," he continued. "Ithink it's interesting to methat Scott's family hasn'tgotten enough attention. You know, his grandmother was acivil rights worker in Ripley, Mississippi, and now hergrandson is going to be thefirst African American [senator] sinceReconstruction. His father wasa Reagan guy who ranfor state treasurer as aRepublican in Mississippi inthe 1980s, which is when I firstmet him."
Stevens noted that Colom's father also helped co-found the Innocence Project with John Grisham. Dorothy W. Colom, his mother, was the first Black person elected to a Mississippi Chancery Court judgeship.
"So, it's just aremarkable story, and I think Scott's going to be atremendous senator. CindyHyde-Smith, you know, one ofthe reasons you'renot hearing from Cindy Hyde-Smithis, you know, all my Republicanfriends in Mississippi, youknow, nobody wants to go to warfor Cindy Hyde-Smith. She'ssort of been a ghost. She's anaccidental senator. She wasfirst appointed. There's nopassion there for her. And look, Scott's going to be a great Senator, I think," he closed.
There are fewer than 15,000 ballots left and it isn't clear which counties they're coming from because some counties aren't reporting the specifics.
MS NOW Political Director Shawna Thomas said they are being careful about calling the race because so few ballots remain and it isn't clear where they're coming from.