Scott Colom projected to win Mississippi Senate race over Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith

clingingMore neutral: leading

The verb suggests the lead is fragile and held on, which the count does not establish.

Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom is clinging to a small lead in normally ruby-red Mississippi as he looks to oust Sen.

Used byJust the News (Far Right)

clingsMore neutral: leads

The verb suggests the lead is fragile and held on, which the count does not establish.

Democrat clings to lead in Mississippi Senate race

Used byJust the News (Far Right)

oustMore neutral: defeat

The verb frames the contest as removing an incumbent rather than defeating him.

…Colom is clinging to a small lead in normally ruby-red Mississippi as he looks to oust Sen.

Used byJust the News (Far Right)

George Soros-backedMore neutral: Democratic prosecutor Scott Colom

Attaches a donor-funding link to Colom that the article does not source, which pre-judges him.

…of Mississippi was going to cruise to victory in her re-election race against George Soros-backed Democratic prosecutor Scott Colom.

Used byTheBlaze (Far Right)

sure-thingMore neutral: expected

Presents a pre-election poll expectation as a certainty before the votes were counted.

Hyde-Smith's sure-thing re-election is now a dogfight too close to call

Used byTheBlaze (Far Right)

ShockMore neutral: Unexpected

The word adds drama to a race that has not been called.

Dem Declares Shock Red State Victory and Dares MAGA to Sue

Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

DaresMore neutral: Says

The verb presents a challenge to a group as the outlet's own framing rather than reporting the statement neutrally.

Dem Declares Shock Red State Victory and Dares MAGA to Sue

Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

spectacularMore neutral: notable

The adjective adds drama to the upsets rather than describing the results neutrally.

Of all the spectacular Democratic upsets in 2026 midterm elections — a statewide sweep in Texas, the first…

Used byRolling Stone (Far Left)

most shockingMore neutral: unexpected

The superlative adds drama to a race that has not been called.

…state of Kansas in almost a century, an underdog stunner in South Carolina — the most shocking victory of all may still be yet to come.

Used byRolling Stone (Far Left)

has rocked the US political landscapeMore neutral: has reshaped the US political landscape

The word rocked adds drama to a description of election results that could be stated plainly.

A Democratic romp in the midterms has rocked the US political landscape, but several closely contested races remain too close to call.

Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

unpopular presidentMore neutral: sitting president

The label pre-judges the president, and the excerpt gives no polling figures to support it.

An unpopular president, a charismatic Democratic candidate and an incumbent who has underperformed…

Used byCNN (Left)

charismatic Democratic candidateMore neutral: Democratic candidate

The adjective is a personal judgement rather than a fact about the race.

An unpopular president, a charismatic Democratic candidate and an incumbent who has underperformed other Republicans in recent…

Used byCNN (Left)

seismic shiftMore neutral: shift

The phrase inflates the significance of the result before the count is complete.

…in a contest that remains too close to call but underscores the midterms’ seismic shift toward Democrats, even in deep-red territory.

Used byCNN (Left)

UnbelievableMore neutral: Mississippi’s Close Senate Race

The adjective presents a close count as remarkable before the result is final.

Mississippi’s Unbelievable Blue Turn

Used byMother Jones (Far Left)

clinging toMore neutral: holding small leads in

The verb suggests a tenuous hold on a lead, which is a judgement the description does not establish; the plain wording reports the leads without that implication.

Democrats are clinging to small leads in both states, and it may take quite a while until the winners are…

Used byThe New York Times (Left)

bloodbathMore neutral: defeat

“Bloodbath” is a dramatic label for an election loss that the description does not detail.

…of votes as deep-red states nearly flipped in the GOP's stunning election night bloodbath.

Used byFox News (Far Right)

horribly wrongMore neutral: signs of trouble

“Horribly wrong” is a judgement of the GOP’s situation that the reported races do not establish.

Signs of something going horribly wrong for the GOP appeared late in the election cycle when Fox News rated the Senate…

Used byFox News (Far Right)

nearly swallowedMore neutral: came close to flipping

Describes a wave swallowing states, a dramatic image that goes beyond the reported vote margins.

Blue wave nearly swallowed some of America's reddest states as election data exposes GOP's close calls

Used byFox News (Far Right)

striking developmentMore neutral: new development

“Striking” is a judgement of impact that the reported vote change does not itself establish.

The latest shift marks a striking development in a state long considered safely Republican.

Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

clings toMore neutral: leads

Clings suggests the lead is precarious and under threat, which the vote counts do not establish.

Democrat clings to razor-thin lead in Mississippi Senate race

Used byScripps News (Center)

amusedMore neutral: noted

The headline characterizes Dana Bash’s attitude in a way that adds mockery beyond the reported remark.

‘Fun fact’: Dana Bash amused as GOP senator's Biden-era block may now cost her Senate seat

Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

Vote RiggingMore neutral: legal challenge to the count

The headline presents a vote rigging charge that the description does not establish.

Republicans Float Vote Rigging in Desperate Ploy to Save Red Seat

Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

Desperate PloyMore neutral: new move

The label characterizes the motive behind the move without evidence of intent.

Republicans Float Vote Rigging in Desperate Ploy to Save Red Seat

Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

blastsMore neutral: criticizes

Blasts adds heat to what is a criticism of fellow Democrats by a candidate.

Scott Colom blasts Democrats for not investing more in Mississippi

Used byNBC News (Left)

seismic Democratic winsMore neutral: Democratic wins

The adjective seismic adds drama that the reported results do not require.

…are locked in a tight race for a seat that could lend greater strength to seismic Democratic wins in the upper chamber of Congress.

Used byThe Center Square (Right)

stunning Republican defeatsMore neutral: Republican defeats

The adjective stunning adds drama beyond the reported vote counts.

…of the biggest shocks in a midterm election cycle already chock full of stunning Republican defeats.

Used byCNBC (Center)

cling to slim leadsMore neutral: hold slim leads

Cling suggests desperation about leads that the vote counts describe neutrally.

…in Mississippi and Alaska remain too close to call as Democratic challengers cling to slim leads.

Used byThe Epoch Times (Far Right)

MAGA RepublicanMore neutral: Republican

A movement label attached to a candidate pre-judges her; the party alone identifies her accurately.

Trailing MAGA Republican begs for recount cash: ‘Costs money every single hour’

Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

begsMore neutral: asks donors for

The verb casts a candidate’s fundraising appeal as pleading, which adds judgement beyond the reported request for donations.

Trailing MAGA Republican begs for recount cash: ‘Costs money every single hour’

Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

already sizeable Democrat majorityMore neutral: the Democratic majority in the Senate

The phrase adds a judgement about the size of the majority and its effect, which the reported vote count does not establish.

…control for Mississippi in 32 years, and will further strengthen the already sizeable Democrat majority.

Used byRedState (Far Right)

bleak midterm electionMore neutral: midterm election

The word bleak adds a negative judgement that the reporting does not need; the midterm status is the fact being stated.

If they do, it would be a rare bright spot for the GOP in a bleak midterm election that already has cost Republicans control of Congress.

Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

stunning upsetMore neutral: unexpected win

The adjective adds drama to a result that the coverage reports only as a lead before counting is finished.

Democrat Scott Colom is on the verge of winning a Senate seat in Mississippi in a stunning upset, but ballots are still being counted in a close race where Colom holds a lead of…

Used byThe Guardian (Left)

political earthquakeMore neutral: Mississippi Senate race draws national attention

The term calls a single state Senate race a seismic upheaval, overstating its scale beyond what the vote count shows.

Mississippi election marks political earthquake in the Deep South

Used byFinancial Times (Center)

tauntsMore neutral: urges

The verb “taunts” characterizes Colom’s public request in the outlet’s own voice as mockery, which the reported words do not establish.

'Where is Cindy Hyde-Smith?': Red state Dem taunts MIA senator as his lead keeps growing

Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

MIAMore neutral: who has not appeared publicly

The label “MIA” pre-judges Hyde-Smith as absent without explanation, while the article reports only that she had not spoken publicly during the count.

'Where is Cindy Hyde-Smith?': Red state Dem taunts MIA senator as his lead keeps growing

Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

capitalized onMore neutral: used the national attention

The verb implies the candidate exploited the attention, a judgement the reported facts do not state.

Since Election Day, Colom has held at least eight events and capitalized on the national attention of the race to flood the airwaves and make his case for why…

Used byCNN (Left)

surprisingly low profileMore neutral: has not made public appearances in recent days

The word surprisingly implies the absence was odd, a judgement the excerpt does not support with evidence.

As for the trailing GOP incumbent, Hyde-Smith has maintained a surprisingly low profile in recent days, and she has not been in public since leaving an election…

Used byMS NOW (Far Left)

voting messMore neutral: voting problems

The informal label judges the state’s voting process as a mess before the facts about the count and the ballots are established.

How reliance on a credit reporting agency led to Mississippi’s voting mess in the midterms

Used byTheGrio (Left)

voter roll purgeMore neutral: voter roll review

Purge is a term critics use for voter-roll removals and assumes the removals were improper.

…of Mississippi voters are scrambling to make sure their ballots count after a voter roll purge overseen by the state’s Republican secretary of state kept them out of precinct…

Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

stringent elections lawsMore neutral: state election laws

Calling the laws stringent characterizes them as harsh before the facts of their effect are set out.

…Democratic challenger, Scott Colom, has highlighted the difficulties that stringent elections laws present to voters.

Used byThe New York Times (Left)

ventMore neutral: express

The verb frames Republicans’ disappointment as an outburst rather than a stated reaction.

…voters tell the BBC their candidate is on the brink of history, while Republicans vent disappointment.

Used byBBC News (Center)

stunning flipMore neutral: flip

Adds drama to a result that the coverage otherwise reports as a close, projected win.

The result is a stunning flip for Democrats in a deep-red state where they last won a Senate election in 1982,…

Used byRoll Call (Center)

mistakenly kicked off of the rollsMore neutral: removed from the rolls

The phrase states as fact that voters were removed in error and uses informal wording before the cause has been established.

Many eligible voters were mistakenly kicked off of the rolls in Mississippi, preventing them from casting their votes normally and…

Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

MAGA senatorMore neutral: Republican senator

Labels the senator by a political movement, which pre-judges her rather than stating her party.

MAGA senator projected to lose ruby-red state seat in historic upset

Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

the unthinkableMore neutral: a surprising flip

Calling the flip unthinkable dramatizes a surprising result in the outlet’s own voice.

Democrats have done the unthinkable and flipped a Senate seat in Mississippi.

Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

really stepped in itMore neutral: made a remark that drew criticism

The idiom mocks the senator in the outlet’s own voice rather than describing the remark and its reception.

In addition to her public backing of Donald Trump, Hyde-Smith really stepped in it when she encouraged people to “pick another protein” if beef was getting too…

Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

Comes for EveryoneMore neutral: in a wider Democratic gain

The phrase dramatizes a single Senate result as a sweeping force reaching all voters, which the reported facts do not show.

Democrats Win Mississippi Senate Seat as Blue Wave Comes for Everyone

Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

Major UpsetMore neutral: Scott Colom, a Democrat, wins Mississippi Senate seat

The word “major” adds drama beyond the reported result, which is a defeat of an incumbent.

In Major Upset, Scott Colom, a Democrat, Wins Mississippi Senate Seat

Used byThe New York Times (Left)

scrappy campaignMore neutral: campaign

‘Scrappy’ is a favourable characterisation of one candidate’s campaign that the reported facts do not establish.

Colom, a Democratic district attorney, ran a scrappy campaign that saw some national money and resources in the final stretch of the race.

Used byPolitico (Left)

massive upsetMore neutral: win over

‘Massive’ adds drama to an election result that the headline could report without characterising its size.

Mississippi elects Democrat Scott Colom to Senate in massive upset

Used byPolitico (Left)

oustedMore neutral: defeated

Ousted implies the incumbent was forced out of office, where the result was a general election defeat.

The district attorney ousted Cindy Hyde-Smith in a deep-red state after a viral ad and a late burst of attention…

Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

oustingMore neutral: defeating

Ousting implies the incumbent was forced out of office, where the result was a general election defeat.

Senate race, The Associated Press projected, ousting Republican Sen.

Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

Most Stunning Election Upset of AllMore neutral: Democrat wins Mississippi Senate race after days of counting

The superlative framing manufactures drama about a race result that other outlets report in plainer terms.

Democrats Finally Score Most Stunning Election Upset of All

Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

fitting tribute to EversMore neutral: has made history

Presents the win as a tribute, an editorial judgement the reporting does not establish.

…use your vote and honor everyone who died for that right.” Now Colom, in a fitting tribute to Evers, has made history as the first Black US senator from Mississippi since…

Used byMother Jones (Far Left)

shockingly tightMore neutral: close

Shockingly adds drama; the closeness of the race is already conveyed by tight.

Following a shockingly tight race in a historically red state, Mississippi voters turned the state’s Senate…

Used byTheGrio (Left)

shockingMore neutral: unexpected

The word adds drama and judgement about how surprising the result was.

Democrat Scott Colom unseats Cindy Hyde-Smith in shocking Mississippi Senate win

Used byThe Guardian (Left)

stunning setbackMore neutral: loss

The adjective adds drama that the projected result does not require.

Senate Republicans suffer another stunning setback as Cindy Hyde-Smith is projected to lose to Scott Colom in the reliably red…

Used byFox News (Far Right)

toppleMore neutral: defeat

The verb adds drama beyond the reported projected result of the race.

Dems projected to score historic upset in deep-red Mississippi, topple Trump ally Hyde-Smith

Used byFox News (Far Right)

stunning victoryMore neutral: win

The adjective adds drama to a win the excerpt describes as a plain result.

…in what was one of the tightest races of the 2026 midterms, marking another stunning victory for his party.

Used byTIME (Left)

many sayMore neutral: The ad drew national attention

It attributes the claim that the ad drew national attention to unnamed people, so the reader cannot tell who holds it.

The ad is simple, less than half a minute long, but many say it was the moment the nation took notice of Mississippi’s US Senate race.

Used byThe Guardian (Left)

stunnerMore neutral: upset

The word adds drama to a result that is a plain election outcome.

Mississippi Senate stunner: Hyde-Smith concedes to Democrat Scott Colom

Used byThe Hill (Center)

most stunning upsetsMore neutral: upsets

The superlative adds drama to the result rather than describing it.

…from north Mississippi, has defeated the Republican incumbent in one of the most stunning upsets of the 2026 midterms, according to a MeidasTouch projection.

Used byMeidasTouch (Far Left)

Stuns MississippiMore neutral: Wins Mississippi Senate race

The word presents the result as a shock to the state, while the result itself is reported plainly elsewhere.

Scott Colom Stuns Mississippi, Ousts Cindy Hyde-Smith in Historic Upset

Used byMeidasTouch (Far Left)

was dismissed as improbableMore neutral: was seen by some observers as a long shot

The passage says the bid was dismissed without naming anyone who dismissed it.

Senate seat in Mississippi was dismissed as improbable — a long-shot effort standing up against the weight of political history…

Used byThe 19th (Left)

a profound momentMore neutral: a notable moment

The outlet's own judgement of the event's importance is presented as a description of the event.

It is a profound moment for both Mississippi and the Democratic Party in the South: Mr.

Used byThe New York Times (Left)