Mississippi Senate Race Sits at 1,145 Votes With No Recount Law as Democrats Line Up Their Leadership

Counties have until 13 November to certify. Mississippi is the only state with no recount statute: a candidate cannot request one and none is triggered automatically. After certification a campaign can conduct a ballot box examination and, if it finds problems, file a legal challenge. Hyde-Smith would need a court order for anything resembling a recount. Her campaign said on Thursday that the margin is measured in dozens of votes and that it remains confident every legally cast vote will be counted; Colom said he would protect the process and that his lawyers and county volunteers were ready. Marc Elias's firm is leading the Democratic legal effort.

What other races remain uncalled after the midterms?

Alaska, where Mary Peltola had 48.2 percent to Senator Dan Sullivan's 47.9 with 74 percent of the expected vote reported, a gap of 637 votes on ABC's dashboard. Alaska counts absentee ballots for days and the governor's race there goes to ranked-choice tabulation on 18 November. In the House, where Democrats are projected to win their largest majority since 2008, dozens of districts were still being confirmed on Thursday; ABC projected Luz Rivas in California's 29th and Sam Forstag in Montana's 1st around midday.

Who will lead the new Democratic Congress?

Hakeem Jeffries has formally launched his bid for Speaker, with no declared challenger, and Katherine Clark of Massachusetts wrote to colleagues on Thursday asking for their support to become majority leader, which would make her the first woman in the job. Chuck Schumer said he would be re-elected majority leader in the Senate, though Michigan's senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed has not committed to backing him. On the Republican side Mike Johnson will not seek another term as House leader, and Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise are both running for minority leader.

President Trump told Fox News the result was not a referendum on him and blamed the candidates, while telling reporters that Vance's view that the Iran war cost the party was largely true. The administration's next test is nearer than January: Republicans in the House are discussing an impeachment vote on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as early as next week, Gulf News reported, citing CNN. Mississippi's count, and the Senate's final shape, will take at least until the counties certify next Friday.