Colom's campaign calls the ballot demand a "desperate stunt from national Republicans"
Scott ColomScott Colom's U.S. Senate campaign, through campaign manager Gerard Henderson, in a statement reported by WLOX
Responding to the Hyde-Smith letter, Colom's campaign manager, Gerard Henderson, calls it a desperate stunt by national Republicans facing a loss and says the campaign is confident Colom will win when every lawful ballot is counted.
Responding to
Mississippi and federal law require counties to keep affidavit ballots from the November 3, 2026, election separate from other ballots, and Cindy Hyde-Smith is entitled to their preservation in an unaltered and identifiable state.
“This desperate stunt from national Republicans is what you do when you know you're about to lose a race.”
Reporting
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Where this statement fits
Hyde-Smith's lawyers demand that Mississippi counties separate and preserve affidavit ballots in her Senate race; Colom's lawyers call the demand unlawful
On November 5, 2026, two days after the U.S. Senate election in Mississippi, lawyers for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith's campaign sent all 82 counties a letter demanding that they keep every affidavit ballot, the state's term for a provisional ballot, separate from other ballots and preserve them and their records for any ballot box examination, election contest or Senate proceeding. Democrat Scott Colom led the uncalled race by fewer than 2,000 votes at the time. Lawyers for Colom's campaign wrote to the counties the same day that the demand has no basis in Mississippi law and that separating accepted affidavit ballots would threaten ballot secrecy. Mississippi Republican Party chairman Mike Hurst called the letter standard procedure for a close election.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
WLOX reports the Hyde-Smith campaign letter, Mississippi Republican Party chairman Mike Hurst's description of it as standard procedure for a close election, and a response from Colom's campaign manager, Gerard Henderson. It reports Colom leading by 1,724 votes at publication.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
WLOX reports that lawyers for Hyde-Smith's campaign, in a letter shared by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, asked all county election commissioners and circuit clerks to separate, secure and preserve affidavit ballots.
After the quotation
Henderson adds that the campaign is confident that when every lawful ballot is counted, Colom will be Mississippi's next U.S. senator.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the Hyde-Smith campaign's demand that Mississippi counties separate and preserve affidavit ballots, and the Republican scrutiny of those ballots that the demand supports. The campaign dismisses the demand as a desperate stunt by a side that expects to lose, which condemns it.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Cindy Hyde-Smith, National Republican Senatorial Committee
More from this case
Read the full caseMississippi GOP chairman says the party will "fight like hell" over how outstanding ballots are reviewed
“We at the Mississippi Republican Party are going to fight like hell to make sure that every legal vote that was cast is counted. And that the process to review and the process to count these ballots is legal”Read statement
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- Colom's campaign calls the ballot demand a "desperate stunt from national Republicans"
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The Dispute Index. "Colom's campaign calls the ballot demand a "desperate stunt from national Republicans"". First published: 2026-11-10. Last updated: 2026-11-10. https://disputeindex.com/events/8500-responding-to-the-hyde-smith-letter-colom-s