Election 2026 live results: Hakeem Jeffries officially launches bid to be 1st Black speaker of the House

Only about 1,000 votes separate Democratic candidate Scott Colom and Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s closer-than-expected race for U.S. Senate.

With 96% of the expected vote reporting as of 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Colom had 49.0% of the vote (464,926 votes), followed by Hyde-Smith with 48.9% of the vote (463,788).

Colom only leads Hyde-Smith by 1,138 votes.

A new batch of votes added to the count Wednesday evening slightly grew Colom's earlier razor-thin lead.

Independent candidate Ty Pinkins, who said on CNN on Wednesday that he wants Colom to win, followed with 2.1% of the vote (19,934 votes).

-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim

A close-race audit has been initiated for six races in Kansas, including the competitive gubernatorial race between Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher and Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson, according to the state's secretary of state office.

With 99% of the expected vote in, Holscher has 50.3% compared to 49.7% for Masterson. The audit involves reviewing ballots in 10% of precincts in each county.

Holscher already declared victory already with a statement posted to X on Wednesday morning.

"The people of Kansas made their voices heard, and I’m deeply honored by the trust Kansans placed in me to serve as your next governor. Whether I earned your vote or not, I will work for you," she wrote.

However, Masterson has not conceded, according to a spokesperson for his campaign. He wrote on X that it was "a difficult night," but "the margin is narrow enough that Kansas law calls for another look, and we'll let that process finish."

-ABC News' Gaby Vinick

Rep. Tom Emmer, the current House majority whip, is facing a challenge from Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, the outgoing chairman of the Republican Study Committee, to become minority whip, according to letters both lawmakers sent to colleagues Wednesday that were obtained by ABC News.

"There is no sugarcoating the failure we just experiences," Emmer of Minnesota wrote. "We lost, and I take that loss personally, both as a competitor and a member of this team."

Emmer said Republicans "must continue to fight" and touted his ability as whip for bringing members together across the conference.

Pfluger said he is running to be minority whip, "because I believe that I am capable and can be trusted to implement the changes this team needs."

"From day one in Congress, I have devoted myself towards helping others and that is exactly what I will continue to do in this role," he wrote.

Pfluger said Republicans must prioritize a strategy to win back the majority in 2028.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

In a letter to his colleagues on Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries formally announced his bid to be the next speaker of the House.

“I write to humbly request your support in connection with my candidacy to serve as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives,” Jeffries wrote in the letter, obtained by ABC News.

House Democrats will hold leadership elections on Nov. 18, with members voting behind closed doors. Jeffries only needs a simple majority of the caucus to secure the nomination. To be formally elected House speaker, Jeffries needs 218 floor votes to receive the gavel in January.

Jeffries, who is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House, outlined what Democrats will focus on under his leadership if elected as the 57th speaker.

“In the new Congress, we will aggressively fight for an affordable America. Life is way too expensive, and millions of hardworking taxpayers are drowning in this failed economy. As part of our effort to turn things around, every single member of our majority will play a meaningful role. My goal is to empower you to act decisively in three key areas: (1) Affordability (2) Accountability and (3) American Values,” Jeffries wrote.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller