Democrats Push Ahead in Midterm Count as Crucial Senate Races Remain Unfinished
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Democrats have secured majorities in both chambers of Congress, while final outcomes in Senate contests in Alaska and Mississippi are still being tallied.
Democrats have taken control of the House and Senate following the November 3 midterm elections, building on their majorities as the remaining ballots are counted. Party Chairman Ken Martin said the results show that "millions of voters put their faith in Democrats to fight for them" and vowed to press ahead with efforts toward a "more affordable America."
The party flipped seven Senate seats and 32 House seats, with wins spanning abortion-rights candidates to a gubernatorial victory in Texas. Still, vote counting continues in the Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi, along with many House contests that remain unsettled.
In Mississippi, Secretary of State Michael Watson warned that certified results may not be available until after the November 13 deadline, saying roughly 3,600 absentee ballots and an unknown number of affidavit ballots still need to be processed. With 80% of ballots counted, Democratic challenger Scott Colom leads incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by a slim margin that could hand Democrats an eighth flipped Senate seat.
Alaska's race between Democrat Mary Peltola and incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan is also close, with Peltola ahead by 637 votes and 74% of ballots counted. Both candidates remain below the 50% threshold needed to avoid the state's ranked-choice voting process, which could push certification into late November. Former Justice Department voting-rights lawyer David Becker said the final tally may not be clear until the second half of the month.