Alaskans wait for more votes in US Senate and governor's races

Residents of Alaska prepared for the arrival of additional tallies from pivotal general election contests, which included a fierce struggle for a U.S. Senate seat and an open gubernatorial position, yahoo.com reported. With the count still wide open, both major contests could ultimately go to ranked tabulations.

The ballot measure seeking to repeal Alaska’s unique system of open primaries and ranked vote general elections was also too early to call. If no candidate wins more than 50% of first-choice votes, rankings will come into play. Alaska accepts ballots from overseas voters for up to 15 days after the election, making Nov. 18 the target date for state elections officials to tabulate under the ranked vote system. The major candidates in the Senate race are two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola. In the campaign for governor, former state lawmaker Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is attempting to become the first Democrat to win the post in many years, competing against three other Republicans, including business owner Bernadette Wilson, who received an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

2026 Midterm Election Results: Alaska US Senate race too close to call

Litigation and Allegations Rocked the Senate Race

The contest dominated headlines ahead of Tuesday’s election and attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice. Just shy of two weeks prior to Election Day, the department filed a lawsuit under instructions from President Donald Trump that aimed to prevent the race from being certified should Sullivan face defeat. The lawsuit cited potential confusion with another Sullivan on the ballot, retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan.

A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, but the department has appealed. The senator and his allies had long suspected that the lesser-known Sullivan was a plant intended to create voter confusion, a theory that gained traction after The New York Times reported that key political strategists for Peltola appeared involved in his recruitment. This account originated from interviews with a former campaign manager for Peltola who was dismissed shortly before the primary in August. Furthermore, the report pointed to campaign finance records and text messages suggesting that an individual working to recruit candidates received payments from an organization that supports Peltola. Federal authorities have confirmed the existence of a criminal investigation in the matter.

Alaska senate race still too close to call morning after Election Day

Peltola denied any involvement. Dan J. Sullivan, who has denied running at the behest of Democrats, has not responded to messages seeking comment in the last week. The senator elevated the issue in his closing argument to voters and questioned Peltola’s denials. On Wednesday his campaign expressed confidence in Sullivan’s chances, despite the biggest election cheating scandal in the history of Alaska and despite a bloodbath for Republicans everywhere else in the country.

Both Campaigns Urge Patience as the Vote Count Continues

Both campaigns urged patience as the ballot count continues. After reports surfaced that Democrats had secured enough seats to take the Senate, Peltola spoke to her supporters. She appeared upbeat—even snapping a selfie with the attendees—but noted that finalizing the vote count would require some time.

Alaskans wait for more votes in US Senate and governor's races — Photo: yahoo.com

The state permits a 10-day window for the arrival of absentee ballots mailed from within the U.S., a timeframe that is vital for rural Alaskan areas that often lack road access and rely on aviation for mail transport. It’s going to take a long time to make sure we’re counting every vote from every far-flung hinterland community, from every tiny outpost, from all of our service members serving overseas, our young people going to colleges, Peltola said.

A Tight Race to Reclaim the Governor’s Office

Kreiss-Tomkins expressed excitement about the early vote results when speaking to supporters on election night, saying, What a night this is for the future of our state. He cast himself as a consensus builder in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy and said he would work across party lines to address the state’s challenges. Republican party officials in the state encouraged their supporters to rank all three GOP candidates on the ballot to improve the party’s prospects. However, while campaigning at a rally in Wasilla last month for Republican candidates, including Wilson and Sullivan, Trump dismissed ranked voting as a scam and criticized the other two Republican gubernatorial hopefuls, former state Attorney General Treg Taylor and former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, on social media.

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Wilson said in a statement Wednesday that she was cautiously optimistic for the days ahead. Alaska’s last Democratic governor was Tony Knowles, who served back-to-back terms from 1994 to 2002. The state also had an independent governor from 2014 to 2018.

Voters approved the open primary and ranked vote general election system in 2020, and it took effect for elections in 2022. Voters narrowly rejected a repeal effort two years ago, and this year’s ballot measure asks them to decide on the unique process for the second time in two years.