Alaska Senate Race Stalled: 700-Vote Gap Triggers Legal Battle

The race for the Alaska Senate seat remains undecided with fewer than 700 votes separating the top two candidates. Democrat Mary Peltola holds a slight lead over Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, a margin that has remained static for more than 24 hours.

As of Friday, 74% of ballots had been counted. Alaska and Mississippi were the only two states without a confirmed winner for their Senate seats as polls closed on Election Day. The state’s use of ranked choice voting complicates the final tally. Candidates must secure 50% of first-place votes to win. If no one reaches that threshold, officials eliminate the last-place finisher and redistribute those ballots. This process cannot begin before Nov. 18.

Peltola told supporters that delays are standard for the state. “The results are not gonna be fast, but Alaskans are patient.. It will be weeks,” she said. She noted that ballots often arrive by mail or plane from remote regions, extending the counting period.

A dispute over a third-party candidate has added legal friction. A second candidate named Dan Sullivan appeared on the ballot. The Justice Department and the FBI are investigating the inclusion of this name. Sullivan accused Democrats of engineering a scheme to confuse voters. “To trick Alaskans to throw away their vote and rig the election,” he said.

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit to prevent the certification of the election if Peltola wins. The suit alleges that the addition of the same-named candidate was a strategic move to siphon votes from the incumbent.