Alaska governor says Senate race remains tight as ballots keep coming in and investigators watch for manipulation
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Governor Mike Dunleavy said the Alaska Senate race between Mary Peltola and Dan Sullivan is within a few hundred votes, with ballot batches arriving on Nov. 13 and Nov. 15 likely deciding the lead as officials and lawmakers investigate possible vote-splitting tactics.
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 many voters see as hanging on every last ballot. 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. He added that state officials are reviewing the vote count for any possible irregularities, including potential perjury or misrepresentation of voter intent, because election integrity has to be taken seriously.
Alaska and Mississippi are the only states with Senate contests still uncalled. The race has attracted 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, reflecting just how serious the concerns are about possible organized interference and ballot manipulation.