Now ahead by 2,536 votes, MS Dem Colom thinks he will win

Democrat Scott Colome. currently leads Republican Senator. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2536 votes. And Scott Collum joins me now. Appreciate you being here. What's the latest, you know, about. how many votes are outstanding? And I know in the last couple of days. I've heard you say, you know, you know where the votes are. and the districts are coming from, and you feel good. that they are going to be favoring you. Where do you think things stand now? Well, we're really just waiting for Hines.

County to finish doing that county. And my understanding is. they're going to be finished by. Wednesday morning. and then it's going to all be over. because as I said. the Wednesday morning. after the election, I follow Mississippi politics in always. the affidavit. absentee ballots always treated Democrat. I knew that there were a lot of. ballots out in Hinds County. And if you look at. what happened on Election Day, a lot of those ballots. are going to be for me, and it's time to start focusing. on the people of Mississippi. I'm ready to start. as the next United States.

What is it. you think you were able to do that other. I mean, no one else has done for a very, very long time in Mississippi. Well, one, I went out in our campaign. I did over 60 town halls. I went to the music festivals, I went to the housing projects. And that motivated people. to actually take action on their sails. You know, there was a great Washington. Post story. about a woman in Holmes. County, Mississippi, that got so excited about this campaign. that she started. canvasing and doing voter registration,

getting young people to vote. I've never talked to that young lady. She did that all or her all. And so when I tell people. that this is something. that people of Mississippi did, those are the examples. We were tired of the betrayals. We were tired of the corruption. And I had the courage. to write on Mississippi values. and a vision. for the people of Mississippi. And that's why we got the momentum way. You also I mean, you were very smart. in like, the commercials you were putting out. were really clever. Some of them were really funny. I want to play a campaign video.

you put out last month. on social media, which addressed high grocery prices. Let's take a look. Price of beef continuing to go up. You know, you have so many proteins to choose from. Take another protein. She said, I'd rather pick another senator instead. Pick another protein. She lost a damn mind. I rather pick another senator's. Pick another protein. What the. pick, another said, is that.

I mean, as. it's one of the great ads that I've seen. I mean, how much of of of your strong. showing do you think was, due to that. and kind of other really just, you know, fun, interesting, clever advertising? You were doing it. A lot of it was because of that. I knew at the very beginning. this campaign. that we were going to have to figure out. how to get young people's attention. and get the attention of people. that they don't necessarily.

pay attention to politics. Right. You can't really advertise to them. You know, knocking on the door may be difficult. because they move a lot, but, you know, they're on social media. and they don't want a normal politician. They want somebody that feels authentic. And so I kept trying different ways. to get their attention. And we did a lot of cool videos. The other thing. I will say that's important. for people that want to win tough races, like I just. like we're about to do, is also rely. on a lot of Mississippi talent. You know, my content creator, Ryan Sales, my other content creator, KP,

my brother Andrew. It was a lot of Mississippi people. that understood divides for our state. and how to get people to. stay in our state. And I think that made a difference. because everywhere I go now, they all tell me, I'm glad we picked another senator. Well, your, your lead, it just keeps growing. As we have been waiting. and watching Scott Coloma, I appreciate you joining us tonight. Thanks so much. Thank you so much, Anderson. God bless. Key race alert for you. We are closely watching those razor. razor thin margins in Mississippi.

Democrat Scott, columnist. holding on to his narrow lead over. Republican incumbent. Cindy Hyde-Smith. by just over 2500 votes today. Very important. One in the Magnolia State. It is the deadline for voters. to resolve any issues. on provisional ballots they cast. It's also the deadline for counties. to receive absentee ballots. that are postmarked on. or before Election Day. CNN's grayer is in Jackson, Mississippi. I know you followed one person. whose address was confusing,

who was very upset. that his vote might not be counted. What are you learning about. this count today as everyone is watching? Do we have any idea, for example, how many votes are still out there? Well, Sarah, we're here at the Hinds. County Election office, where shortly, election officials are going to start. counting the remainder. of the absentee ballots. because, as you mentioned, today is the final deadline. to get those returned. And that could be really significant, because we've been waiting for this.

last batch of absentee. ballots to be counted. The secretary of state says. there's just over 2000. outstanding absentee. ballots left in the state, but there's also thousands. of provisional ballots, known as affidavit ballots. And I've talked to a number of voters. who have had issues with their ballots. One voter. went to the polling location. that they had voted. in the last two elections, and all of a sudden. found out that he was no longer. registered in the poll book. and was registered in another county. he hadn't lived in for six years.

These are the kinds of stories. that people in the state. are experiencing across the state, and it's putting the. Mr.. Mississippi Secretary of State's actions. under scrutiny here, because in the last year, he used. credit card data. to try and clean up. the voter rolls and many are accusing. the secretary of state. of making that be a sort of purge. or disenfranchizing. voters, Secretary of state's office. very much standing behind his decision, saying that he is doing. everything he can to make this vote. as accessible as possible. And that's why these provisional ballots.

exist, to give voters. the opportunity. to correct any issues in the system. But Democrat. Scott Collum says that as more ballots. come in, he's confident. that his lead is only going to grow. Take a listen to what he said. on Anderson Cooper last night. We're really. just waiting for Hines County. to finish doing that county. And my understanding is. they're going to be finished by. Wednesday morning. and then it's going to all be over. because, as I said, the way they monitor after the election, I follow Mississippi politics and always. affidavit absentee.

ballots, always a Democrat. I knew that there were a lot of. ballots out in Hinds County, and if you look at. what happened on Election Day, a lot of those ballots. are going to be for me, and it's time to start focusing. on the people of Mississippi. I'm ready to serve. as the next United States senator. Now, we haven't. heard much from Republican. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, but she did. tell our colleagues on the Hill yesterday. that she wants every vote to be counted. Republicans have deployed. 50 lawyers across the state.

in case there is a legal battle. Democrats are also prepared to fight back. if there is any sort of legal challenge. But today is a huge day in Mississippi. where we might see some more key results. And the building behind me is where it's. all the action is going to be happening. here. We are watching and waiting. I know you have been there. throughout, trying to be there. for the moment that this is decided. Anyway, thank you so much. for your reporting there. from Jackson, Mississippi. Incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith. has been. largely absent from public view.

since election. night on Capitol Hill today. She told reporters. the votes were still being counted, but she refused to say. if she would go to court for a recount. if she ultimately loses. Our panel is back. Republican Steve Hilton. and Democrat Katie Porter. Steve, it's not good. when the Republicans. are potentially losing Mississippi. How does that how does I think I know? How does that happen? I know that's. Oh, Steve, you lost your race in California. Well come on. Yeah. Mississippi. Texas. It's an amazing development. I think there are some local factors.

there. There was one particular story. about how she, responded to something that turned into, I think we were just talking about. of the best ads of the whole season. about a different protein. and then and then. he turned that into an ad. And but. I think it's an indication. that she's just not a good candidate. And somewhat. accidentally became a senator. She was appointed into the role, did not have to win. run statewide to get the job. Eventually ran statewide. in in Mississippi.

where there wasn't much competition. And he seems like quite. an extraordinary candidate, especially in terms of working. She's a very weak candidate. And as you said, hasn't really had to compete. And I think he was a pretty. extraordinary candidate. And so I think it took the one two punch. I think we saw this. same thing. play out in Texas, where I think Talarico ran. a very good race. Yeah. Ken Paxton was a terrible candidate. I think we saw the same thing. in South Carolina, where I think any Andrews. ran a very solid, good race. She's run a couple times,

she's gotten better each time. And darling, Graham was. not ready for the school board, much less the United States Senate. So I think when you have a wave this big. and you're doing it. sort of right and wrong from both sides, you have both sides kind of helping. So bad Republican candidate, good Democratic candidate. When the waves big enough, you win even in these surprising places. And both Texas and South. Carolina handpicked candidates. from President Trump. without his involvement there, very well. could have been other candidates. running in those races. who had more experiences to run.