Two days after polls closed, Mississippi's U.S. Senate race remains one of the last uncalled contests from Tuesday's midterms, and the margin keeps moving. Democratic prosecutor Scott Colom's lead over two-term Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith had swelled to roughly 1,138 votes with about 96% of ballots counted, according to ABC News' tally — up sharply from a 65-vote edge reported Wednesday afternoon and a 43-vote edge reported after midnight.

The swings reflect how late-reporting precincts, many in Democratic-leaning areas, have broken for Colom as counting has ground on. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins, a military veteran who ran a longshot third-party bid, has pulled nearly 20,000 votes, according to figures compiled by Mississippi Free Press's live results tracker — more than enough to have mattered in a race this tight.

No recount, no clear finish line

What makes the uncertainty especially fraught is that Mississippi has no automatic or candidate-requested recount process. Under state law, a recount can happen only by court order, meaning the loser's main recourse is litigation rather than a routine retabulation. Mississippi Today reported Wednesday that a court fight is considered likely regardless of which candidate ultimately leads once every ballot — including outstanding affidavit and overseas ballots — is counted.

MISSISSIPPI HASN'T SENT A DEMOCRAT TO THE SENATE SINCE 1982

That history is what makes the race remarkable on its own terms, separate from the national picture. Hyde-Smith has represented the state in the Senate since 2018 and was considered a heavy favorite for most of the cycle in a state Donald Trump carried by roughly 23 points in 2024. Colom, a district attorney from the Mississippi Delta, built his campaign on crime policy and economic frustration, and late polling — including one Change Research survey showing Hyde-Smith ahead by only three points — suggested the race had tightened well before Election Day.

The Associated Press has not called the race, and Mississippi is one of only a handful of states nationally where a top-of-ticket outcome remained unresolved as of Thursday morning. The result will help determine just how wide a margin Democrats hold in the Senate after Tuesday's broader sweep, though control of the chamber itself was already decided by other contests.

Both campaigns are expected to issue statements as county election commissions certify their final counts over the coming days, a process that in Mississippi must wrap up before any legal challenge can formally proceed.