Almost a week after Americans voted in this year's midterm elections, two Senate races remain unresolved, a reminder that in close contests, certifying a winner can take time well after polls close.
In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom currently leads Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by approximately 2,700 votes, an extremely narrow margin in a statewide race. Hyde-Smith has represented Mississippi in the Senate since 2018. A margin this small typically means election officials are still working through the final tabulation of ballots, and depending on state law, a result this close can also trigger an automatic recount before a winner is formally certified. In Alaska, a separate Senate race also remains too close to call, continuing a pattern seen in past Alaska elections where its ranked choice voting process and the state's geography, with many remote communities, can make final counts take longer than in most other states.
These unresolved races matter beyond the two states themselves, because they factor into the overall composition of the Senate following this year's midterms. Midterm elections, held partway through a president's term, are traditionally viewed as a referendum on the sitting administration's first two years, and this year's results prompted immediate reflection within the Republican Party about what the outcomes meant for the party's standing with voters.
Vice President JD Vance offered his own blunt assessment of what the midterm results meant for Republicans, part of a broader round of public commentary from party figures reckoning with the election's outcome. President Trump, in a wide ranging interview that aired on 60 Minutes, said that he believed his administration's deportation policies had been too tough and that this had hurt Republicans in the midterms, one of several reflections he offered on the campaign.
Final certification in Mississippi and Alaska will determine the exact partisan balance of the incoming Senate class, and could take additional days given how narrow both margins are.
Why is the Mississippi race still uncalled?
The margin between the two candidates is only about 2,700 votes, narrow enough that final counting and potentially a recount are needed before a winner can be certified.
What did Trump say hurt Republicans in the midterms?
In a 60 Minutes interview, he said he believed his administration's deportation policies had been too tough and that this contributed to the party's midterm results.