The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday after more than a week of meticulous vote counting. While Colom established a narrow edge over Hyde-Smith on election night, his margin steadily grew as local election officials processed outstanding absentee and provisional ballots, eventually leaving the Republican incumbent unable to close the gap.
The outcome delivers a historic result in one of the nation's most reliably red states, reshaping the political landscape as Colom prepares to head to Washington.
