BREAKING ELECTION ALERT: Dem Scott Colom's LEAD GROWS in Mississippi Senate race

All right, folks, we got something big here. at this hour. The Senate race in Mississippi now. leans Democratic. We just got some new numbers, which means that Scott Colom has. a 3 ,800 vote lead as of now. over the incumbent Republican. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. So far, the votes that are coming in, or have been coming in, have been treading very much in his direction. Joining us, MSNOW reporter Namdiega Wanwu, who's in Jackson, Mississippi for us.

MSNOW political director Shawna Thomas. MSNOW senior Washington reporter. and co-host of The Weekend, Eugene Daniels, and senior advisor to the. Lincoln Project, Stuart Stevens. Okay, Namdie, tell me, what are they counting. right now? And should we expect to get a call on this race? Maybe today? So, Katie, the counting here has. officially finished. just moments ago. We got the final number of affidavit ballots. here in Hines County. We knew there were around 800. or so that had to be process.

And now we know that Scott Cologne netted. about 703, the lion's share of those affidavit ballots. It's what his campaign has been hinting. They suspected would be the result here. And it's enough for them to fortify their. belief that this race will ultimately go. in their direction. One thing I will flag that the election. commissioner, some of whom you can still see. behind me here are pointing out, is that these are unofficial numbers. Counties have until Friday the 13th to certify. their official numbers. They're going to meet tomorrow morning to try. to address some discrepancies we saw. on the number of affidavits that they said.

were here this morning, which was 817. And the number that were ultimately counted 808. So that's something that will happen tomorrow. But still one thing that they are confident. about is that generally these number is accurate. And again, Scott Cologne seems to have. netted more. than 700 of those votes compared to. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who picked up about 96. The question that we're still asking. regarding. whether or not we're going to see a call is, well, how many affidavit ballots. are still around this state. One thing about Mississippi that makes it unique. is this is a decentralized election system. It's all run by the counties who may do things. a bit differently.

The only deadline they all share is. that deadline for Friday the 13th to. certify the results. So, the thing that we still may be looking. at as we determine whether. or not this race can be called is. for some of those other larger counties. where they are with their affidavit. ballot processing process. But one thing we can say, this is the second largest. county in the state. Getting through these affidavit ballots is. widely viewed as providing perhaps the largest. shift in vote totals we expect to see. But still, we're hoping to get a. better idea. of how many of these ballots.

still exists around the state. Though here in Hines County, the second largest, the lion's share went towards. Democrats got Cologne. Do we know exactly how many ballots are. left out there? So that's something that we've been. getting various SO YOU KNOW AGAIN THIS. IS COUNTY RUN I TALKED TO ONE OFFICIAL. TODAY WHO SAID THEY CAN SUSPECT THERE TO BE. ABOUT A COUPLE THOUSANDS STILL OUT SPOKE. TO ANOTHER THAT SAYS HEY I THINK THE LION, SHARINS AND HINDS OR MAY NOT BE THAT. MUCH OUT THERE. ANOTHER THING YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER just. because there's still affidavit ballots. that are out there doesn't mean the majority. of them will be accepted. Here in Hines County, we saw that actually the.

majority. of ballots here were rejected. about a little more than half. So it's still an open question, but One thing we do know is. that the larger counties, your Harrison counties, your Hines counties, they've gone ahead and processed. those ballots to give us a pretty. good idea about where this race. is going to go. And the questions Scott Coloma has been asking, we're also wondering, is WILL CINDY HYDE SMITH COME OUT. OR HER ATTORNEYS, HER SPOKESPEOPLE AND DO WHAT. SCOTT COLOMB HAS WHICH IS PROVIDE. HER VIEW OF HOW SHE COULD OVERCOME. THE MARGIN THAT SCOTT COLOMB. CURRENTLY HAS IN THIS RACE.

RIGHT NOW IT'S CLEAR TO MANY OF. US IN THIS ROOM BUT AGAIN THE. A race not yet called, though it does appear to be. leading towards Scott Colombs' favor. So, Eugene, I mean, if there are just a couple. thousand. affidavits out there and not all of them are. going to. get accepted and he's leading by. I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN. DEMOCRATIC VOTES. I UNDERSTAND WHY WE'VE CHANGED. IT TO LEAN DEMOCRATIC, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE PATH for Cindy Hyde-Smith is. becoming. pretty difficult. Yeah, you know, our team is being very careful.

Kabir Khanna, who's amazing, is working through everything and will, as soon as they feel confident, we will go with something. But But I think the thing that's so interesting. is that Cindy Hyde-Smith has not said anything. Usually, at the very least, what you and your team. would do would get. in front of the cameras, as Scott Colon and his team. has, talk to a lot of different reporters. and say this is our view of the case. This is how many numbers of ballots that are. in our favor we think are out there. And the fact that she has not done that, right? And when she has spoken on Capitol Hill,

which is usually pretty rare, it's-there's not a lot of information in there. There's not a lot of confidence. It doesn't sound like a campaign. and a candidate who feel. like this is going to end up. in their favor. And it is hard to express to people how. does truly earth-shattering something. like this is, right? Cindy Hyde-Smith is someone who blocked. Colombe from being a judge. and him coming back and IT'S AN AMAZING IRONY.

THE STORY, THEY'RE LIKE, HAD SHE JUST LET HIM BE A. JUDGE? MAYBE WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TALKING. ABOUT MISSISSIPPI AT THIS POINT. BUT WHAT'S SO INTERESTING IS. SCOTT COLOMB IS SOMEONE WHO, THE FIRST TIME THAT I EVER INTERACTED WITH him. I wasn't sure that he could win because, you know, it's Mississippi and my family is. from the South and, you know, all of the history there. But he seemed like someone who was. Mississippi down, as I like to say, like someone who was very clearly of the state, very clearly of the folks there and had, was always talking about the things. that they cared about. And then when you start seeing someone like him,

a Democrat going to Trump rally, standing outside online, talking to Trump voters. about him and himself, it seemed like this race was going somewhere. And even if he doesn't win at this point, it seems like we're moving toward that. Even if he doesn't, the fact that we're talking. about this eight days out from the election day is. truly TOOLLY CRAZY. MISSISSIPPI, YOUR STATE, TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT. YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW. WELL, LOOK, OLE MISS PLAYED GEORGIA. SATURDAY NIGHT. AND THEY WERE 42-7 behind.

It was two minutes to go, and they had a better chance. than Zidney Hyde Smith to win. This thing is done. It should be called. It's really a disservice to the state. not to call it, because he needs to be up in Washington doing all the. briefings. and all the orientation that the senators do. I've done a lot of races in Mississippi. I've sat in these courthouses. they do a really solid job, you can't get there from. here. If she was to win 90 % of the ballots.

outstanding, she still would lose. So look, something remarkable has happened. here. I think it's interesting to me. that Scott's family hasn't gotten. enough attention, you know, his grandmother was a civil. rights worker. in Ripley, Mississippi, and now her grandson is. going to be the first African-American. since Reconstruction. His father was actually a Reagan guy. who ran the state treasurer. as a Republican in Mississippi in the 80s, which is when I first met him.

He later co-founded the Innocence Project. with John Gresham. His mother is the first African-American. chancery clerk judge, chancery judge in Mississippi. So it's just a remarkable story. And I think Scott's going to be. a tremendous senator. And Sidney Hart Smith, you know, one of the things, the reason you're not hearing. from Sidney Hart Smith is, you know, all my old Republican friends in Mississippi, you You know, nobody wants to go to war for Sidney Hyde-Smith. She's sort of been a ghost. She's an accidental senator.

She was first appointed. There's no passion there. for her. And look, Scott's going to be a great SKINNER, I THINK. HERE'S WHAT THE AP HAS. FEWER THAN 15 ,000 BALLOTS LEFT. TO PROCESS STATEWIDE. BUT AGAIN, THAT IS JUST IT'S JUST AN. ESTIMATE BECAUSE. NOT ALL THE COUNTIES ARE SAYING. EXACTLY WHAT THEY HAVE LEFT TO COUNT. SHAWNA, WALK US THROUGH FOR. ANYBODY AT HOME SCREAMING AT THEIR TELEVISION. WHY DON'T YOU JUST CALL IT?

WALK US THROUGH WHY WE'RE SO CAREFUL WITH. WE ARE CAREFUL WITH THIS SORT OF THING. WELL, WE'RE CAREFUL WITH THIS SORT. OF THING BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, WE HAVE A LITTLE LESS THAN 15 ,000. BALLOTS THAT ARE STILL OUTSTANDING. IT IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT IN. MISSISSIPPI, BUT WE GIVE THE AP SOME. GRACE FOR THAT. BUT WHERE OUR ESTIMATE IS, IT WOULD BE. THAT IS WHY THE ELECTION AND POLLING TEAM MOVED. THIS TO LEAN DEMOCRATIC.

BUT THAT IS STILL THAT NUMBER, THAT ALMOST 15 ,000 HAVE GONE, THE OUTSIDE. OF THE NUMBER IS STILL BIGGER THAN. THE 3 ,800 OR SO VOTES THAT. SCOTT COLOMB IS LEADING. PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING BY. AND SO THESE NUMBERS ARE SO CLOSE THAT UNTIL. WE HAVE EVEN A BETTER IDEA OF HOW THOSE. OUTSTANDING VOTES HAVE GONE, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL IN THIS PROCESS. WE HAVE TO TELL THE TRUTH TO. PEOPLE AND SAY IT IS STILL, IT'S LEAN DEMOCRAT BUT WE ARE NOT. READY TO CALL THIS RACE AND. APPARENTLY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.

IS NOT READY TO CALL THIS RACE. AND APPARENTLY THE I THINK IT TAKES AWAY FROM. KIND OF THE ENORMITY OF THIS CHANGE. I MEAN, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN SAYING. THIS BUT PRESIDENT TRUMP WON THE. STATE OF MISSISSIPPI BY OVER THAT IS. OVER 22 POINTS. NOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND. WHERE NANDY IS STANDING IN HINDS COUNTY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SENATOR HARRIS, SORRY, VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS WANT ABOUT. 62 ,000 VOTES IN THAT COUNTY. SHE WON HINDS COUNTY THAT IS A DEMOCRATIC COUNTY, FINE.

WHERE I HAVE IT IS CONGRATULATIONS, COLOMB HAS ABOUT 62 ,000 VOTES IN THAT. COUNTY, BUT CINDY HYDE SMITH. HAS WAY LESS VOTES IN THAT. COUNTY THAN DONALD TRUMP. THE TRUMP DID. SO WHAT THIS IS, IN SOME OF THESE BLACK. MAJORITY COUNTIES, MORE BLACK PEOPLE SHOWED UP AND VOTED. THAT'S NUMBER THEIR NUMBER ONE, AND NUMBER TWO, IT DOES SEEM THAT A LOT OF TRUMP VOTERS EVEN THOUGH. THEY. WERE ENCOURAGED TO VOTE LIKE HE. WAS ON THE BALLOT EITHER DIDN'T. SHOW UP OR THERE'S A NUMBER HAVE SEEN THEIR. NUMBERS WHO SWITCHED THEIR NUMBER.

BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS IS. THAT HE REALLY OVERPERFORMED AND BY THAT I. MEAN. SCOTT COLOMB IN A LOT OF THESE PLACES WHERE HE. NEEDED HE DID IT IN KIND OF A. SPECTACULAR WAY, AND IF WE ARE GOING TO PLAY. THIS OUT, THE QUESTION FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, FOR ALL OF THE PACKS, FOR ALL OF THE SUPERPACKS, EVERYBODY ELSE IS WHAT DO. WHAT DO THEY DO WITH THIS ENERGY STARTING AT THE. BEGINNING. OF NEXT YEAR IF THEY'RE LOOKING. TOWARDS 2028? ALL RIGHT, I JUST WANT TO READ THIS. FROM OUR ELECTIONS. GURU BACK HERE AT MSNOW.

Hyde-Smith's plan, our path is getting. narrower each day, just to put a slightly different. percentage than you had, Stu, on this. She'd need to win over 60 % of the estimated. votes left to count to catch up with Cologne. In counties with updates since election night, it's. Cologne. who has been the one overperforming. He is winning a higher share. of affidavit ballots, those provisional ballots, then he got from ballots. counted. on election night in these counties, often by 20 points. Even in some Republican counties,

Cologne has won the ballots process this week. Given Cologne's strength and the small number OF. BALLOTS LEFT TO. GET THROUGH IN THE COMING DAYS, HYDE SMITH IS NOT LIKELY TO CATCH UP. IN FACT, COLOMB'S MARGIN MAY CONTINUE TO EXPAND. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE ON THIS.