Why Key Senate and Governor Races Remain Uncalled in Recent Elections

As of noon Eastern time on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, The Associated Press has yet to call a handful of high-stakes Senate and governor races in Mississippi, Alaska, and Kansas, even as Democrats have flipped seats and secured control of both chambers of Congress. The uncalled contests include razor-thin margins that could trigger court-ordered recounts or ranked-choice tabulations.

WKMG reported that the narrow margins come as Democrats flipped seats in places Republicans comfortably won two years ago, locking in majority control of the House and Senate. In the House alone, 59 races where party control of the seat is at stake remained uncalled as of midday Wednesday. The AP does not make projections and will only declare a winner when it determines there is no mathematical scenario allowing trailing candidates to close the gap.

ELECTION ALERT: MS NOW rates Alaska and Mississippi Senate races TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Mississippi Senate race hangs on a few dozen votes

In Mississippi’s Senate contest, Democrat Scott Colom holds a lead of only a few dozen votes over Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. The state does not have an automatic recount process, but a challenger can seek a court order for one, setting up a potential legal battle if the margin stays this tight.

Alaska contests could go to ranked-choice tabulation

Alaska presents a more complex scenario with two major races still undecided. In the Senate race, Democrat Mary Peltola leads incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan by 626 votes with an estimated 74% of votes counted. Under Alaska law, if neither candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, the contest advances to ranked-choice tabulation.

Where the toss-up Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska stand

The same rule applies to Alaska’s governor’s race, where Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins holds a 20-percentage-point lead over Republican Bernadette Wilson. Kreiss-Tomkins had 49.2% of the vote with an estimated 74% of ballots counted, putting him just below the 50% threshold that would avoid another round of counting.

Holscher narrows Masterson’s lead

In Kansas, Democrat Cindy Holscher maintains a lead of less than one percentage point over Republican Ty Masterson in the governor’s race. Her 5,557-vote advantage with an estimated 98% of votes counted comes on the heels of a landmark Senate victory: Democrat Adam Hamilton became the first member of his party to win a Senate seat in the state in nearly a century. Both Holscher and Masterson currently serve in the Kansas state Senate, where Masterson holds the position of president.

Kansas state senate chamber capitol building

Why these races matter now

The uncalled status of these contests matters because control of statewide offices shapes everything from election administration to redistricting. With Democrats already securing both chambers of Congress, these down-ballot results will determine whether the party can advance its legislative agenda at the federal level while also holding key governorships that oversee state-level implementation of federal policy.

The AP’s cautious approach reflects the high stakes of modern elections, where margins of a few hundred votes can determine which party controls the Senate and whether governors can veto legislation or appoint judges. Until every ballot is counted and the mathematical certainty threshold is met, these races remain officially undecided.