US midterm elections 2026 live: Democrats eye historic upset in Mississippi Senate race as Republican blame game begins

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>Democrat Scott Colom is leading Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in the southern state by fewer than 1,200 votes</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/nov/03/midterm-elections-full-results-senate-house-governor-races">Live results</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/04/tell-us-how-do-you-feel-about-the-us-midterm-election-results">How do you feel about the results?</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for Breaking News US email</a></p></li></ul><p>Election night brought a series of dramatic developments, unexpected results and closely contested races across the US. We have put together this video capturing the key moments and offering a quick overview of one of the most important nights in US politics:</p><p>The Senate race in <strong>Mississippi </strong>has become one of the most closely watched contests in the midterms, with Republican incumbent <strong>Cindy Hyde-Smith</strong> and Democratic challenger <strong>Scott Colom</strong> separated by a remarkably narrow margin.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/nov/05/midterm-elections-live-latest-updates-mississippi-senate-race">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.