9 November 2026
HATTIESBURG, MS – Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race is still not settled six days after the election. Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by more than 2,500 votes, and Tuesday is a key deadline for the last ballots. Also tonight: experts say the race could end up in court, State Auditor Shad White launched his run for governor in Laurel, school absences fell 24% statewide, the College Football Playoff is doubling to 24 teams, and Mississippi State lost a close one to Vanderbilt.
Where does the Senate race stand Monday?
Colom leads Hyde-Smith by more than 2,500 votes, WDAM reported Monday. The Magnolia Tribune put the gap at 2,574 votes Monday morning. Secretary of State Michael Watson said as of Sunday that 75 of 82 counties had uploaded unofficial results. Just over 2,800 mail-in absentee ballots were still out. Counties had processed 12,767 affidavit ballots, and about 77% were accepted, Watson said. Counties must certify results by Friday, Nov. 13.
No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate race in Mississippi since John Stennis in 1982, WDAM reported. William Newman, a legal studies professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, told WDAM, “This is something in many respects that we have not seen in our lifetime, particularly in Mississippi.”
Why it matters here: Tuesday, Nov. 10, is the last day for the remaining affidavit and mail-in absentee ballots, the Magnolia Tribune reported. If you voted by affidavit in Forrest, Lamar, Jones or any Pine Belt county because you had no photo ID, you must show ID to your circuit clerk by close of business Tuesday or your vote will not count. Forrest County flipped to Colom on election night, as we noted in Friday’s statewide headlines.
Could the Senate race end up in court?
Some experts think so. “Part of me says no matter what happens, there’s going to be a little litigation,” Jackson State University political science chair Maurice Mangum told WDAM. Ole Miss professor Marvin King said a challenge would need “some evidence of malfeasance or fraud.” Mississippi does not have an automatic recount for a close Senate race, WDAM reported.
Hyde-Smith’s legal team sent letters to election officials in all 82 counties asking them to separate and keep affidavit ballots, WDAM reported. Colom’s campaign says that could break state law and voter privacy. No lawsuit had been filed as of Monday night, WDAM reported. Hyde-Smith said on X that “thousands of votes remain to be counted from dozens of Republican counties,” CBS News reported.
Why it matters here: Any court fight would run through the same county election offices that serve Pine Belt voters. Election officials in all nine Pine Belt counties got that letter to preserve affidavit ballots.
Who is running for governor?
State Auditor Shad White, a Republican, announced Monday he is running for governor in 2027. He held his launch event at Studio5Fifty in Laurel, WDAM reported. “So just to get it out of the way, I am a pro-Trump conservative,” White said. He pledged to freeze property taxes, cut car tax fees and grocery taxes, and finish getting rid of the state income tax. He also promised tougher violent crime laws and more money for classrooms and teacher pay, WDAM reported. White told the Magnolia Tribune he wants “to finish the job” of fighting fraud.
The Republican field already includes Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson and former House Speaker Philip Gunn, WLOX reported. Democrats Priscilla Till and Ivana Williams are also running. Gov. Tate Reeves cannot run again. The election is Nov. 2, 2027.
Why it matters here: White is a Jones County native. He grew up in Sandersville and went to Northeast Jones High School, WDAM reported.
Are Mississippi students missing less school?
Yes. Total absences in August and September fell 24%, the Mississippi Department of Education said Monday, the Magnolia Tribune reported. MDE counted 769,180 absences this fall, down 243,766 from the 2024-25 school year. Unexcused absences fell 29%. Officials credit a new law, Senate Bill 2103, that caps excused absences at five per semester. MDE says the drop added 1.34 million hours of class time. State Superintendent Lance Evans said students who miss school “miss valuable instructional time they cannot get back.”
Why it matters here: The new limits apply to every public school district in the Pine Belt, from Hattiesburg and Petal to Laurel and Columbia. MDE did not release district numbers in this report. Parents should check their district’s handbook for the five-per-semester rule.
What does a 24-team playoff mean for Mississippi teams?
College leaders said Monday the College Football Playoff will grow from 12 to 24 teams starting next year, the Associated Press reported in a story published by the Magnolia Tribune. Mississippi State President Mark Keenum chairs the playoff board. He said opening the playoff to “more programs, more student-athletes and more fan bases” is “great for college football.” The best-ranked team outside the Power Four conferences gets an automatic spot.
Why it matters here: More open spots give Ole Miss and Mississippi State a wider path in. Southern Miss plays in the Sun Belt, so its path would be winning a top ranking among non-Power Four teams or an at-large pick.
How did the state’s teams do this weekend?
Vanderbilt beat Mississippi State 25-23 Saturday in Starkville, ESPN reported. The Bulldogs fell to 4-5 and 2-5 in the SEC. They host Auburn this Saturday. Ole Miss dropped seven spots to No. 19 in the AP Top 25 after a 42-7 loss to No. 1 Georgia, the Magnolia Tribune reported. The Rebels play at Oklahoma on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. Northwest Mississippi Community College beat Hinds 33-29 for its third straight state juco title, the Magnolia Tribune reported.
Southern Miss, coming off last week’s loss to James Madison, plays at Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Nov. 14.
FAQ
Has the Mississippi Senate race been called?
No. Colom led by more than 2,500 votes Monday, WDAM reported.
When must affidavit voters show ID?
By close of business Tuesday, Nov. 10, at your county circuit clerk’s office.
When will results be final?
Counties must certify by Friday, Nov. 13.
Where did Shad White launch his campaign?
In Laurel, in his home county of Jones, WDAM reported.
Why are school absences down?
State officials credit Senate Bill 2103, which caps excused absences at five per semester.