Key Midterm Races Remain Unsettled as Vote Counting Continues
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Several Senate and House contests, including races in Alaska, Mississippi and Colorado, are still too close to call, leaving the final balance of power in Congress uncertain.
Democrats have secured control of both chambers of Congress, but vote counting is still underway in a number of tightly contested races. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom leads incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by roughly 1,100 votes, with the state allowed to count provisional and late-arriving mail ballots until 10 November. Colom has emphasized economic policies, while Hyde-Smith, the first woman to represent Mississippi in Congress, was endorsed by President Donald Trump and campaigned alongside him.
In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman and Native American, holds a narrow lead of about 600 votes over Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. Peltola’s campaign highlighted “fish, family and freedom,” whereas Sullivan focused on tax cuts and expanding Alaska’s energy sector. The race has drawn attention after reports that an independent candidate named Dan Sullivan was on the ballot, which Peltola denies any involvement in.
Colorado’s 4th District sees Trump ally Lauren Boebert trailing Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher with about 7% of votes still uncounted. Similar close margins are reported in other House contests, such as Tennessee’s 4th District where Republican Scott DesJarlais trails Democrat Victoria Broderick, and Arizona’s 2nd District where Republican Eli Crane leads Democrat Jonathan Nez by fewer than 4,000 votes.
"A loss for Boebert, DesJarlais and other Republicans would mean an even larger majority for Democrats in the chamber and a bigger rejection of Trump and his Make America Great Again movement," a political analyst said.
In California, Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of the state’s roughly 200 billionaires, is trailing with a growing margin as only about 61% of votes have been counted. Proponents argue the measure could raise $100 billion for health care and education, while Governor Gavin Newsom opposes it.
Kansas’ gubernatorial race remains close, with Democrat Cindy Holscher leading Republican Ty Masterson by a few thousand votes.