Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi remain too close to call, with razor-thin margins separating candidates days after the midterm elections. In Alaska, Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola leads incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, by fewer than 700 votes, with a quarter of the ballots yet to be counted.
The Alaska race has been complicated by the presence of Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher whose candidacy has drawn scrutiny. The U.S. Justice Department began investigating him in July after reports surfaced that he may have met with Democratic operatives and Peltola campaign staff to encourage him to run, a scheme Peltola has denied.
Daniel J. Sullivan, also referred to as "Decoy Dan," had garnered 3,600 votes as of Thursday morning. This number significantly exceeds the narrow margin separating Sen. Sullivan and Peltola, raising questions about the impact of the votes cast for the other Sullivan in Alaska's ranked-choice voting system.
Former President Donald Trump commented on the situation, calling for the votes for Daniel J. Sullivan to be immediately awarded to Sen. Sullivan. "There is no other fair solution!" Trump posted on Truth Social.
In Mississippi, Democratic candidate Scott Colom leads incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., by a mere 138 votes, with 95.6% of ballots counted as of Thursday morning. Officials are awaiting approximately 3,600 mail-in ballots that have a grace period for arrival. The state does not have a formal recount process, suggesting the possibility of a legal battle over the results.
Colom stated that his campaign is prepared for a court battle, while Hyde-Smith's campaign expressed confidence that she will prevail once all legally cast votes are counted.