APAlaska Senate race heads for November showdown between Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola
The 2026 US midterm elections may have delivered a major victory for Democrats, but two closely contested Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska remain undecided days after Election Day. Democrat Scott Colom is leading Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, while Democrat Mary Peltola has a narrow advantage over Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in Alaska.
Thousands of ballots are still being counted in both states, with provisional and absentee votes potentially influencing the final outcome. The races have also drawn attention because of disputes over ballot counting, legal challenges and Alaska's ranked-choice voting system.
According to reports by the Associated Press (AP), Reuters and local media, neither contest has been officially called. The results will determine the size of the Democrats' Senate majority, rather than which party controls the chamber. Democrats have already secured control of the Senate.
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According to Reuters' November 6 report, Colom led Hyde-Smith by 49% to 48.8% of the vote. The Associated Press estimated that around 30,000 ballots remained uncounted, making it too early to declare a winner.
A November 7 report by WAPT also placed Colom ahead by nearly 2,500 votes, although the count remains unofficial.
The close contest has triggered a dispute over how election officials should handle provisional, also known as affidavit, ballots. Hyde-Smith's legal team asked election commissioners across Mississippi's 82 counties to preserve and separate these ballots so their eligibility could be reviewed.
Colom's lawyers opposed the request, arguing that it could lead to inconsistent treatment of ballots across counties and depart from normal election procedures. Colom has said his campaign is prepared to challenge any attempt to interfere with the counting process.
According to Reuters, Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson estimated that between 12,000 and 20,000 affidavit ballots remained to be counted. The state's counties have until November 13 to submit certified results.
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According to the Associated Press results published through Fox News, Peltola had secured 102,962 votes, or 48.17%, compared with Sullivan's 102,325 votes, or 47.88%. Her lead stood at 637 votes, with approximately 74% of the vote counted.
However, Alaska's election process could delay the final result. The state uses ranked-choice voting, under which voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and ballots are redistributed according to voters' next preferences.
The process continues until a candidate secures a majority. Alaska's Division of Elections has said ranked-choice tabulation will take place on November 18, after eligible ballots have been reviewed and counted.
The contest has also attracted attention because two other candidates appeared on the ballot: Gerald Heikes and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired schoolteacher who shares a name with the Republican incumbent.
A Washington Post report said the two candidates together received enough first-choice votes to potentially influence the final outcome. Reports also raised questions about whether Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. was recruited to split votes that might otherwise have gone to the incumbent. Peltola and Alaska Democrats have denied involvement in such a scheme.
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the contest, arguing that votes for the other candidate named Sullivan should be transferred to the incumbent. However, Alaska's ranked-choice voting rules do not automatically transfer votes to a candidate simply because they share a name. Ballots move according to the preferences marked by individual voters.
The dispute has added another layer of uncertainty to a race that could take weeks to resolve. The Washington Post reported that Alaska's final ranked-choice tabulation is scheduled for November 18, with certification targeted for November 25.
Democrats have already secured control of the Senate following their strong performance in the 2026 midterms. However, victories in Mississippi and Alaska could further expand their majority and give the party additional room when advancing legislation and confirming presidential nominees.
A victory for Colom would also carry historical significance. He could become Mississippi's first Black US senator since Reconstruction, with the state last electing a Black senator in 1874.
Similarly, if Peltola wins, she would become the first Alaska Native elected to the US Senate and the first Democrat to win an Alaska Senate race since Mark Begich in 2008, according to The Washington Post.
Until then, Colom and Hyde-Smith, as well as Peltola and Sullivan, remain locked in closely contested races. Election officials will have to complete the remaining ballot reviews and counting before the winners can be officially determined.
The AP has not called either Senate contest, and the unofficial leads could change as additional ballots are processed.
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Thousands of ballots are still being counted in both states, with provisional and absentee votes potentially influencing the final outcome. The races have also drawn attention because of disputes over ballot counting, legal challenges and Alaska's ranked-choice voting system.
According to reports by the Associated Press (AP), Reuters and local media, neither contest has been officially called. The results will determine the size of the Democrats' Senate majority, rather than which party controls the chamber. Democrats have already secured control of the Senate.
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Mississippi Senate race: Scott Colom leads Cindy Hyde-Smith
Democrat Scott Colom is narrowly ahead of Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's closely watched Senate race. Colom, a district attorney, is seeking to unseat Hyde-Smith, who has held the Senate seat since 2018.
According to Reuters' November 6 report, Colom led Hyde-Smith by 49% to 48.8% of the vote. The Associated Press estimated that around 30,000 ballots remained uncounted, making it too early to declare a winner.
A November 7 report by WAPT also placed Colom ahead by nearly 2,500 votes, although the count remains unofficial.
The close contest has triggered a dispute over how election officials should handle provisional, also known as affidavit, ballots. Hyde-Smith's legal team asked election commissioners across Mississippi's 82 counties to preserve and separate these ballots so their eligibility could be reviewed.
Colom's lawyers opposed the request, arguing that it could lead to inconsistent treatment of ballots across counties and depart from normal election procedures. Colom has said his campaign is prepared to challenge any attempt to interfere with the counting process.
According to Reuters, Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson estimated that between 12,000 and 20,000 affidavit ballots remained to be counted. The state's counties have until November 13 to submit certified results.
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Alaska Senate race: Mary Peltola ahead of Dan Sullivan
In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola is narrowly leading Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in another Senate contest that remains too close to call.According to the Associated Press results published through Fox News, Peltola had secured 102,962 votes, or 48.17%, compared with Sullivan's 102,325 votes, or 47.88%. Her lead stood at 637 votes, with approximately 74% of the vote counted.
However, Alaska's election process could delay the final result. The state uses ranked-choice voting, under which voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and ballots are redistributed according to voters' next preferences.
The process continues until a candidate secures a majority. Alaska's Division of Elections has said ranked-choice tabulation will take place on November 18, after eligible ballots have been reviewed and counted.
The contest has also attracted attention because two other candidates appeared on the ballot: Gerald Heikes and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired schoolteacher who shares a name with the Republican incumbent.
A Washington Post report said the two candidates together received enough first-choice votes to potentially influence the final outcome. Reports also raised questions about whether Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. was recruited to split votes that might otherwise have gone to the incumbent. Peltola and Alaska Democrats have denied involvement in such a scheme.
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the contest, arguing that votes for the other candidate named Sullivan should be transferred to the incumbent. However, Alaska's ranked-choice voting rules do not automatically transfer votes to a candidate simply because they share a name. Ballots move according to the preferences marked by individual voters.
The dispute has added another layer of uncertainty to a race that could take weeks to resolve. The Washington Post reported that Alaska's final ranked-choice tabulation is scheduled for November 18, with certification targeted for November 25.
Why are the Mississippi and Alaska Senate races important?
The two contests are significant because they involve Republican-held Senate seats in states that President Donald Trump won by comfortable margins in the 2024 presidential election.Democrats have already secured control of the Senate following their strong performance in the 2026 midterms. However, victories in Mississippi and Alaska could further expand their majority and give the party additional room when advancing legislation and confirming presidential nominees.
A victory for Colom would also carry historical significance. He could become Mississippi's first Black US senator since Reconstruction, with the state last electing a Black senator in 1874.
Similarly, if Peltola wins, she would become the first Alaska Native elected to the US Senate and the first Democrat to win an Alaska Senate race since Mark Begich in 2008, according to The Washington Post.
When will the final results be announced?
Mississippi counties have until November 13 to submit certified election results, while Alaska is scheduled to conduct its ranked-choice tabulation on November 18.Until then, Colom and Hyde-Smith, as well as Peltola and Sullivan, remain locked in closely contested races. Election officials will have to complete the remaining ballot reviews and counting before the winners can be officially determined.
The AP has not called either Senate contest, and the unofficial leads could change as additional ballots are processed.
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