Two Senate seats still undecided as Democrats hold majority after overnight wins; Alaska, Mississippi races unresolved

Two Senate seats still undecided as Democrats hold majority after overnight wins; Alaska, Mississippi races unresolved

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Democrats Flip the Senate in Deep-Red Upsets as Two Races Hang on a Knife’s Edge

Democrats flipped the US Senate and House of Representatives in a massive rebuke of Republicans. Within hours of the first polls closing, the party had flipped both chambers of Congress, with wins in states Republicans had come to rely on, including Texas and Kansas. Democrats had already secured control of the Senate, but two seats still hang in the balance: Alaska and Mississippi, where vote counts were still underway.

The Senate majority is already decided. What remains open is the size of it — and whether Democrats can hold a seat in Mississippi that no member of their party has won since 1982.

Mississippi: Fewer Than 50 Votes Separate Colom and Hyde-Smith

In traditionally Republican Mississippi, the race is down to the wire. Democrat Scott Colom held fewer than 50 votes over incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith with roughly 96% of expected votes reported. Not many touted the state as a battleground. With cost-of-living and healthcare among the main focuses of the election, Hyde-Smith may have been hurt by her opposition to the Affordable Care Act. The historical weight sits heavily on the contest: Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1982. Hyde-Smith’s own political path adds a layer of irony, since in her early days in politics she successfully ran as a Democrat for the Mississippi State Senate.

Alaska: Sullivan Clinging to a 1,500-Vote Lead With 28% Still to Count

In Alaska, incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan led Democrat Mary Peltola by just over 1,500 votes, but the state had reported only about 72% of its total votes so far. Democrats had viewed Alaska as a possible pickup heading into the elections, as Peltola held a slim advantage in the last days before voting.

How the Map Turned: Texas, Kansas and the Young-Voter Shift

A high-ranking official in the Republican Party described the night as a bloodbath.

What a Democratic Congress Can Actually Do

Control of both chambers changes the final two years of Trump’s presidency. In the House, Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become majority leader after Democrats passed the 218-seat threshold, stripping Republicans of the ability to pass legislation without Democratic support. The oversight agenda is already taking shape: Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, has ranked Trump family corruption first on his list of priorities, and Representative Jamie Raskin has requested information on the business dealings of Jared Kushner and Donald Trump Jr. Jason Crow said he would begin with the Pentagon, pointing to reports that defense funds were directed to companies tied to the Trump family. On impeachment, Jeffries says Democrats have ruled nothing out, while the current Republican House majority leader, Steve Scalise, predicts an attempt on “Day 1”.

The precedent is recent. Midway through Trump’s first term in 2018, Democrats captured the House of Representatives in a sweeping blue wave, and House committees rapidly opened dozens of investigations into his businesses, his management of the Russia probes and potential conflicts of interest. Slightly more than a year following the 2018 midterms, the House voted largely along party lines to impeach Trump; he was subsequently acquitted in the Republican-controlled Senate, and in 2021, Trump faced a second impeachment – and acquittal – for inciting the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Two Senate seats still undecided as Democrats hold majority after overnight wins; Alaska, Mississippi races unresolved
Photo: The Guardian

The Affordability Mandate

Democrats now face the harder task of governing on the issues that carried them. Given how pressing the cost of living has become, attention is expected to center on reducing everyday expenses. Democrat Debbie Dingell told NBC that voters are sending a message that they dislike where the country is headed, and while people may not be enamored with Democrats, “we’ve a job to do” — and failure to deliver over the next two years will bring another strong warning from them. That warning frames everything now: the two undecided Senate seats will determine whether Democrats govern with a comfortable margin or a razor-thin one, and in Mississippi, whether a 44-year drought for Democratic Senate candidates finally ends.

Both races remain uncalled. The Alaska count continues with more than a quarter of votes still outstanding, and in Mississippi the margin is narrow enough that every remaining ballot could decide whether the state sends its first Democratic senator to Washington since 1982.

More on Democrats

Too close to call: Cindy Hyde-Smith, Scott Colom locked in tight Mississippi Senate race
Mississippi and Alaska Senate races remain unresolved
Colom, Hyde-Smith separated by narrow margin in Mississippi Senate race
Mississippi Senate race: Scott Colombe leading by narrow margin

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