Alaska Senate Race Remains Too Close to Call

Alaska’s U.S. Senate race remained undecided late Tuesday night as election officials began counting ballots.

The contest features incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. Both candidates urged their respective supporters to wait for the final numbers. Sullivan addressed his crowd after initial results were reported, noting that while the lower 48 states saw a blue wave, Alaska was different. Peltola, speaking at her election night party, stated that the group was getting the government back.

The race has been complicated by the candidacy of Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg. He finished in the top four in the August open primary with 2.5% of the vote. A report from The New York Times suggested that Peltola’s campaign may have helped recruit him. This revived suspicions that Dan J. Sullivan was a placeholder candidate designed to confuse voters. Peltola denied any involvement, and Dan J. Sullivan has denied contacting her campaign. The ballot lists the incumbent as Dan S. Sullivan and the challenger as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. with no party affiliation.

The controversy drew national attention, including from President Donald Trump. Trump labeled Dan J. Sullivan a fake candidate and directed the Justice Department to sue if the incumbent lost. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit filed two weeks before the election. The Justice Department has appealed that decision. Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed a criminal investigation is underway but did not specify the targets or potential crimes. Donors to Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign reported that FBI agents asked them if they felt deceived.

Sen. Sullivan called the situation the biggest election cheating scandal in Alaska’s history. He told reporters that the scheme treated Alaskans with disrespect. He expressed confidence that he would win reelection once all votes were counted.

Peltola held a lead early in the count, but Sullivan eventually overtook her. Both candidates fell below the 50% threshold of first-choice votes needed to win outright. This means the race may move to ranked choice tabulations if neither candidate reaches the majority mark. Peltola noted that counting would take a long time to include votes from overseas service members, college students, and remote communities.

The final deadline for receiving overseas ballots is Nov. 18. Under Alaska’s ranked choice voting system, rankings are used only if no candidate earns more than 50% of first-choice votes. Officials are still processing returns to determine if a second round of counting is necessary.