Two Senate races hang in the balance
Narrow margins in Alaska and Mississippi keep both chambers' outcomes in flux as officials count remaining ballots.
By Chioma Kuznetsov ·
Midterm election results in Alaska and Mississippi remain undecided as vote counts inch toward finality. In both states, the gap between the leading candidates is so small that the outcome could hinge on a handful of remaining ballots.
In Mississippi, Democratic candidate Scott Colom holds a lead over incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. The Associated Press reports that 95.6% of the state's votes have been counted. As of Thursday morning, Colom leads by 1,138 votes, with totals of 464,926 against Hyde-Smith's 463,788.
Alaska presents a similar picture of uncertainty. Former Democratic Representative Mary Peltola leads incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan by fewer than 700 votes. The AP notes that approximately one-quarter of Alaska's votes remain uncounted. This slim margin has introduced a complicating factor in the post-election analysis.
A retired schoolteacher named Daniel J. Sullivan entered the race in May. In July, the U.S. Justice Department opened an investigation into his candidacy. A New York Times report from October stated that Daniel J. Sullivan met with Democratic operatives and members of Peltola's staff. Peltola has denied involvement in those interactions.
One voter told reporters after casting a ballot on Tuesday that they believed they accidentally voted for the wrong candidate. "I don't remember seeing the other Dan Sullivan, I totally forgot to look for two Dan Sullivans," the voter said. "I definitely intended to vote for the real Dan Sullivan."
As of Thursday morning, Daniel J. Sullivan had received 3,600 votes. This total is more than five times the 637-vote margin separating Senator Sullivan and Peltola. Under Alaska's ranked-choice voting system, if no candidate reaches 50% of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Their first-choice votes are then redirected to the second choice listed by those voters.
President Donald Trump commented on the situation on Truth Social on Thursday morning. He argued that the votes for the "Fake Dan Sullivan" and another Democratic candidate should be transferred to the incumbent. "The vote totals for the Fake Dan Sullivan, plus the other 'slug' that the Dems put on the Ballot, should be immediately given to the REAL Dan Sullivan, and the Election is over - He easily wins," Trump wrote. He added, "There is no other fair solution! President DJT."
In Mississippi, Secretary of State Michael Watson said officials are still waiting to receive 3,600 mail-in ballots. State law allows these ballots to be counted if received within five business days of the election and postmarked by election day. NBC News' Decision Desk estimates the total number of remaining ballots to be counted is 45,000. Mississippi has no formal recount process, which increases the likelihood of legal challenges.
Scott Colom told reporters on Wednesday that he is preparing for a court battle. "We will protect the process of this election, we'll protect the integrity of this election," Colom said. He noted that he has "an army of lawyers" ready. Scott Monssen, campaign manager for Hyde-Smith, said the team is monitoring the count closely. "We remain confident that when every legally cast vote is fully and accurately counted, Mississippians will have reelected Cindy Hyde-Smith," Monssen said.
Fox News Digital contacted all five campaigns for further comment. The final outcomes in both states depend on the completion of the count and potential legal proceedings.
