Alaska Senate Race Heads to Ranked-Choice Count With Peltola Narrowly Ahead
Mary Peltola leads Sen. Dan Sullivan on first-choice votes, but no candidate has a majority. The ranked-choice tabulation is set for Nov. 18.
Alaska’s US Senate race will not be settled for weeks. Former Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat, narrowly leads Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan on first-choice votes, but neither has a majority, sending the contest to the state’s ranked-choice tabulation.
Where the count stands
Early results showed Peltola with 102,701 first-choice votes, or 48.2 percent, and Sullivan with 102,075, or 47.9 percent. Two other candidates, Heikes and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., received 4,821 and 3,583 votes respectively.
Alaska counts absentee ballots that arrive after Election Day, so the totals will change.
How the ranked-choice count works
Alaska uses an open primary and a ranked-choice general election. Voters can rank candidates in order of preference. If no one wins more than half of the first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those ballots move to each voter’s next choice. The process repeats until one candidate has a majority.
The state Division of Elections plans to run that tabulation on November 18, with certification expected around November 25.
A second Dan Sullivan on the ballot
The race has drawn attention because of a second candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. The New York Times reported allegations that the candidate was recruited to confuse voters, and federal authorities have opened an inquiry, according to news reports. These are allegations only, and no one has been charged.
How that candidate’s voters ranked their other choices could matter in a race this close.
Why the race matters
Democrats have already won a Senate majority, holding at least 54 seats. A Peltola win would push that number higher and give Democrats more room on close votes, including on judicial nominations.
Peltola served in the House after winning a 2022 special election, becoming the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. Sullivan has held the Senate seat since 2015.
What to watch
The key numbers will be how many late absentee ballots arrive and how the voters for the two trailing candidates ranked Peltola and Sullivan. With a first-choice gap of only a few hundred votes, the outcome could hinge on second choices.
How we reported this
This report is based on information confirmed by the Associated Press or by at least two major news organizations, as noted in the text. Claims that have not been independently verified are identified as such. BURN VOC will update this story as new information is released.
