Alaska governor says Senate count stays razor-thin as late ballots could decide a race already mired in scrutiny
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Governor Mike Dunleavy said the Alaska Senate contest between Mary Peltola and Dan Sullivan is separated by only a few hundred votes, with additional ballots due on Nov. 13 and Nov. 15 likely to determine the outcome amid federal and state investigations.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy told radio host John Catsimatidis that the Senate race remains "very close," with Democrat Mary Peltola leading incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan by only a few hundred votes in a contest that has underscored how fragile and contested the process has become. He said a large batch of absentee and provisional ballots is expected on Nov. 13, followed by a smaller batch on Nov. 15, and that the final certification is scheduled for Nov. 25.
"The batch next week will really determine who's going to have the lead there because, right now … candidate Peltola is up by just I think a couple of hundred votes," Dunleavy said.
The governor explained that if no candidate reaches the 50 percent threshold, Alaska's ranked-choice system will eliminate the lowest-vote candidates and redistribute their ballots, a setup that can make the final result even more dependent on later counts. He added that state officials are reviewing the vote count for any possible irregularities, including potential perjury or misrepresentation of voter intent.
Alaska and Mississippi are the only states with Senate contests still uncalled. The race has drawn federal and congressional scrutiny after the Justice Department sued to block certification, alleging that a candidate with the same name as Sen. Sullivan was recruited to split the vote. Dunleavy ordered a state investigation, and the House Oversight Committee opened its own probe, turning the contest into another example of the deep distrust and institutional conflict surrounding elections.