Alaska State Senate

Control of the Senate has been decided, but two races remain unresolved. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom and Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith are nearly tied, separated by a handful of votes out of roughly 900,000 cast; the state will keep counting mail-in and provisional ballots for up to five days and has no automatic recount process. A Colom win would make him Mississippi's first Black senator since Reconstruction and the state's first elected Democratic senator in decades. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola narrowly leads Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, but with ranked-choice tabulation and absentee ballots accepted for 15 days, a final result may not come until closer to Thanksgiving.

Alaska's U.S. Senate race, which could help decide Senate control, remains too close to call, with Democratic challenger Mary Peltola holding a razor-thin lead over incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan as absentee and rural votes are counted under the state's ranked-choice system. The contest is clouded by controversy over a second, little-known candidate also named Dan Sullivan, whom Republicans accuse Democratic operatives of recruiting to confuse voters; some voters have reported uncertainty over which candidate they selected. The Alaska Supreme Court upheld his right to run, and a federal judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit to block certification of a Peltola win, though the DOJ is appealing, prosecutors continue investigating, Peltola denies any scheme, and President Trump has said he will not challenge the results.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, says voter confusion over a same-named independent candidate may cost him reelection against Democrat Mary Peltola. The independent, Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, was reportedly recruited by Peltola staffers, according to internal communications cited by The New York Times. Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee deny involvement. The Trump administration sued to block certification of a possible Peltola win pending a review of voter confusion; a federal judge dismissed the suit Sunday, and the Justice Department has appealed while also issuing subpoenas in a criminal probe. The seat is a top GOP-control battleground for Democrats.

A federal judge has reportedly thrown out the Justice Department lawsuit filed at President Trump's direction seeking to delay certification of Alaska's Senate race, which pits GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan against Democrat Mary Peltola. Alaska's attorney general had called the suit "meritless," and the dispute centers on a spoiler candidate also named Dan Sullivan, reportedly recruited by Peltola staffers to confuse ranked-choice voters; some voters have said they were genuinely unsure which "Dan Sullivan" they chose. Sullivan said he will accept the results regardless, while Peltola has denied involvement in the recruitment scheme. Judge Sharon L. Gleason presided over the case.

The Supreme Court denied the Trump administration's eve-of-election request to force California to set aside roughly 20,000 ballots the Justice Department claims may have been cast by noncitizens, following rejections from a federal district judge and the 9th Circuit. Alongside the appeal, federal and local prosecutors announced charges against seven more noncitizens for alleged illegal voting or registration, bringing the state total to 35, out of more than 23.4 million registered voters.

California officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, called the effort part of a broader pattern of attempted election interference and urged judges to reject any federal requests to seize ballots or voting equipment before results are certified. The administration separately lost a related challenge to the Alaska Senate race.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy says he could stop or alter certification of the state's U.S. Senate result if an investigation he ordered finds illegal conduct tied to Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign. The probe follows a New York Times report alleging Peltola advisers and DSCC aides helped recruit a second "Dan Sullivan," now called "Decoy Dan," to run against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola denies knowledge, though her former campaign manager said she was "definitely aware"; the DSCC also denies involvement. The Justice Department has sued to block certification of any winner but Sullivan and opened a criminal investigation, while President Trump has called the episode voter fraud.

Sullivan says the scheme is costing him votes and confusing voters, but has pledged to accept the results. A House Oversight Committee leader suggested Peltola might not be seated if she wins. "Decoy Dan" has drawn FBI scrutiny, with one donor describing agents questioning his son. Prosecutors are expected to continue investigating past Election Day as debate continues over whether the recruitment was deceptive or whether blocking certification is itself interference.

A New York Times report alleges top aides to Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola searched voter rolls in 2025 for a resident named Dan Sullivan, hoping to recruit one to run against Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan and split his support under the state's ranked-choice system. The effort, reportedly run by operative Jerid Kurtz with DSCC coordination, found retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. in Petersburg, who entered the race; both Sullivans now appear on the four-person ballot, distinguished by middle initial, "Jr.," party affiliation, and an "Incumbent" label. Peltola's campaign and the DSCC deny involvement, calling the report a "distraction," though a fired former campaign manager told the Times Peltola was "definitely aware."

Gov. Mike Dunleavy directed Alaska's Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the scheme violated state law, saying the report shows an "organized effort" to confuse voters. The order follows Trump's call for Peltola's prosecution and a DOJ lawsuit seeking to block certification of a Peltola win if Sullivan Jr. stays on the ballot. Dunleavy has since suggested the state could withhold or delay certifying the Senate results if Peltola wins, pending the probe's findings, and the House Oversight Committee has opened its own inquiry. Sullivan Jr. denies coordinating with Democrats, and the Alaska Supreme Court previously allowed him to remain on the ballot; a legal analyst notes recruiting a spoiler candidate, even if true, may not be illegal under Alaska law.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has directed the Department of Public Safety to investigate allegations that staff for Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recruited namesake challenger Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to siphon votes from Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. The probe follows New York Times reporting, partly based on a since-retracted account from Peltola's fired former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, describing an internal "ballot composition" effort allegedly involving Peltola's campaign lawyers and senior DSCC aides. The Peltola campaign and DSCC deny involvement, with Peltola calling the controversy "a distraction"; the retired Petersburg teacher also denies running at Democrats' behest, though he has acknowledged a history of backing Peltola and other Democrats.

President Trump called for Peltola's prosecution and removal from the ballot, and the Justice Department has issued fresh subpoenas to Democratic officials believed to be involved in the recruitment effort, building on an existing U.S. Attorney's Office inquiry into Daniel J. Sullivan dating back to summer. The DOJ has also sued to block certification if Sullivan narrowly loses, arguing the scheme amounts to a "conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the electoral process"; Alaska moved to dismiss that suit, calling it meritless, and a federal judge set an expedited schedule with a ruling possible within days. The Alaska Supreme Court previously rejected efforts to remove the challenger Sullivan from the ballot. Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined other Republicans condemning the alleged scheme as voters rank Sen. Sullivan, Peltola, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., and Gerald Heikes on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Dunleavy has declined to commit to certifying the election if Peltola wins while the investigation is ongoing, saying any finding of illegal conduct "may in fact impact whether somebody is seated in the U.S. Senate" and that officials would weigh whether to involve Senate leadership. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer has demanded testimony from operatives named in the reporting and threatened subpoenas of his own. Dunleavy's term ends Dec. 7, shortly after Alaska's target date for certifying results.