Alaska Senate Race Undecided: Peltola Leads Sullivan by 626 Votes
Several US midterm elections remain too close to call, with Alaska's Senate race and Los Angeles mayoral contest among the tightest.
Several key races from the 2026 US midterm elections remain undecided, leaving the political landscape in flux even as Democrats celebrate significant gains. Alaska, in particular, is awaiting the final outcomes for its Senate, House, and gubernatorial contests, highlighting the close nature of this year's balloting.
The uncertainty stems from exceptionally tight margins in several races across the country. These close contests underscore the divisions within the electorate and the intense competition between parties. The results could shape the balance of power in Washington and state capitals for the coming years.
In the Alaska Senate race, Democratic challenger Mary Peltola holds a narrow lead of 626 votes over Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan. Under Alaska's election law, if neither candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote, the outcome will be determined by ranked-choice voting. This system could extend the waiting period for a definitive result.
Beyond Alaska, other critical races are still too close to call. The Mississippi Senate race sees Democratic candidate Scott Colom leading Republican incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by a razor-thin margin of 43 votes, with 96 percent of ballots counted. In Kansas, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cindy Holscher has a lead of less than one percentage point over Republican Ty Masterson, with 98 percent of votes tallied.
In Alaska's gubernatorial race, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is facing Republican Bernadette Wilson. Kreiss-Tomkins currently holds 49.2 percent of the vote, with an estimated 74 percent of ballots counted. The outcome of this race also hinges on further vote tabulation and potential shifts in the remaining ballots.
Los Angeles is also experiencing a nail-biting mayoral contest. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass is in a tight race with Nithya Raman, who has the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America. Bass has secured 48.9 percent of the vote, while Raman has 51.1 percent, with approximately one-third of the ballots yet to be counted. This race exemplifies the close contests occurring at the municipal level.
These ongoing counts reflect a broader trend of competitive elections that have characterized the 2026 midterms. While Democrats have achieved historic gains, these close races indicate that control in certain areas remains contested and could be decided by very small numbers of votes or by the intricacies of ranked-choice systems.
The final results from these undecided races will have significant implications for legislative agendas and political power structures. As officials continue to count and verify ballots, the nation awaits clarity on the full extent of the midterm election's impact.
This article was written by AI based on publicly available news reporting. Original reporting by the linked source.