Mary Peltola leads Dan Sullivan in Alaska Senate race as counting continues

Mary Peltola leads Dan Sullivan by approximately 10,400 votes in the Alaska Senate race as election officials continue processing ballots. With between 96% and 98% of ballots processed, Peltola has secured 49.8% of the vote. Dan Sullivan holds between 46% and 46.1% of the vote. If no candidate reaches the 50% threshold, ranked-choice tabulation will occur on November 18.

Senate and gubernatorial results

The election results in Alaska have produced a new Democratic governor. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins defeated three Republican candidates—Bernadette Wilson, Dave Bronson, and Treg Taylor—to become the first Democratic governor in Alaska since 1998. While the Senate race remains ongoing, the Democratic party could see significant shifts in federal power. If Peltola wins her seat, Democrats will hold a 56-44 majority in the Senate next year. Current data from sss.fi indicates the Democratic and Republican Senate seat count stands at 55 and 44, respectively.

Other candidates in the Senate race include Republican Gerald Heikes, who has 5,885 votes, and independent Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who has 4,560 votes. The Washington Examiner reported that 98% of votes have been counted, though different reports suggest the percentage of processed ballots varies between 83%, 96%, and 98%. Similarly, the vote lead between Peltola and Sullivan is estimated by various sources to be between 5,800 and 10,400 votes.

Ranked-choice voting and legal challenges

Alaska utilizes a ranked-choice voting system for its elections. Under this system, if no candidate reaches 50% of the vote, the lowest-placed candidate is eliminated and votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates. Alaskans recently voted in a ballot measure to retain this ranked-choice voting method. The Anchorage Daily News estimated that Sullivan could win if ranked-choice votes are redistributed.

The election has also faced legal scrutiny. A lawsuit filed by the Trump administration to block the certification of the race was dismissed. The lawsuit sought to prevent certification if Peltola won by fewer votes than the total cast for the non-incumbent Sullivan. Despite the legal action, Donald Trump stated that the Alaska race is over and Sullivan won by a lot. Meanwhile, Dan Sullivan stated that Alaska is different from the Lower 48 states. The Mary Peltola campaign stated that her victory is nearly guaranteed and that Alaskans rejected Sullivan's self-dealing in Washington, D.C.

The counting process remains active for various ballot types. Ballots postmarked by Election Day are counted if they arrive by November 13, with extra time allowed for overseas voters. Byron York noted that Peltola will likely win if voters who supported the "Fake Dan Sullivan" list her as their second choice.

Glossary

• Senate — The Senate is a part of the bicameral Congress that makes up the legislative branch of the federal government. It represents the provinces and consists of 72 members elected at-large to six-year terms.
• Democratic party — The Democratic Party is one of the two main national parties. It is generally described as sitting on the center to center-left of the political spectrum with a platform rooted in modern American liberalism.
• Republican — The Republican Party is one of the two main national parties. It is generally described as right-wing with a platform rooted in American conservatism.
• Senate seat — A Senate seat is a position held by a member of the Senate. The count of these seats is used to determine the majority within the chamber.
• ranked-choice voting — Ranked-choice voting is an election system where, if no candidate reaches 50% of the vote, the lowest-placed candidate is eliminated and votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates.