Mike Hurst
Mississippi Republican Party chair and RNC general counsel pressing for affidavit-ballot preservation in 2026.
Mike Hurst, Mississippi Republican chair and RNC general counsel, has warned the party would "not hesitate to hold election officials accountable" in the Senate count, where Scott Colom led Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,990 votes on 10 November.
Last refreshed: 11 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
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Warned the party would hold election officials accountable
US Midterms 2026: Colom's Mississippi lead widens to 2,990Background
Speaking for the Mississippi Republican Party, Mike Hurst said it would "not hesitate to hold election officials accountable" in the Senate count. Colom was 2,990 votes ahead of Hyde-Smith on 10 November 2026, and no lawsuit had been filed by that date. On 5 November Hyde-Smith's campaign lawyers had sent a letter, later released by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, instructing all 82 counties to keep affidavit ballots apart. Colom's lawyers at Elias Law Group said the demands had no footing in Mississippi law.
Hurst, a lawyer, was US Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi from 2017 to 2021 and the Republican nominee for state attorney general in 2015. He became state party chair on 11 May 2024, and the RNC confirmed him as its general counsel in October 2025 while he kept the state post.
The two roles put one lawyer in charge of both the state party's and The National party's legal response in a state that holds a recount only on a court order.
Reference
Who is Mike Hurst?
Can Mississippi Republicans get a recount in the Senate race?
What did Mississippi Republicans demand about affidavit ballots?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 11 November 2026. Editorial standards.