Democratic nominee Scott Colom extended his lead over incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in the Mississippi Senate election by more than 3,000 votes on Wednesday morning.
Colom's lead grew to 3,041 as Hinds County commissioners were set to meet to declare how many ballots had been accepted or rejected in the county.
With an estimated 98% of the votes in, Colom led Hyde-Smith 49.11% to 48.79%. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins had 2.1% of the vote.
Hinds County, which is the second-most populous county in Mississippi, is a majority Black county that encompasses the state's capital, Jackson. If Colom is elected, he would be the first Black senator from Mississippi since the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War.
In 2024, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris defeated President Donald Trump by 46 percentage points in Hinds County. As of Wednesday morning, Colom was winning 80% of the vote in the county, with just 19% for Hyde-Smith.