Alaska's closely watched Senate race remains undecided days after Election Day, with Democrat Mary Peltola holding a narrow lead over incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan. The final outcome may not be known until late November due to the state's vote-counting process and a concurrent FBI probe into alleged election interference.
As of Friday morning, with approximately 74 percent of ballots counted, Peltola leads Sullivan by just 637 votes. However, tens of thousands of early and absentee ballots are still outstanding, with official results not slated for certification until November 25. The earliest a winner could be declared is November 10, if one candidate secures over 50 percent of the votes.
Adding to the drama, an FBI investigation is reportedly underway into the role of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan, who garnered approximately 3,500 votes. This "decoy" candidate is at the center of allegations that he was recruited by Democrats to confuse voters and siphon support away from the incumbent Senator Sullivan. Sources familiar with the investigation told the Daily Mail that FBI agents questioned Peltola's former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, on Election Day. Peltola has denied any involvement in the scheme.
Senator Sullivan's campaign has labeled the situation "the biggest election cheating scandal in the history of Alaska." The "decoy" candidate, Dan Sullivan 2.0, has stated he entered the race independently and had no contact with Peltola's campaign. However, he reportedly left his hometown shortly before a New York Times report accused him of being a "liberal plant."
Alaska utilizes a ranked-choice voting system. If no candidate achieves more than 50 percent of the first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on voters' second preferences. This process could further delay the final determination of the Senate seat.