Alaska Senate Race Tightens as Vote Count Drags On
Sullivan and Peltola urge supporters to wait until Nov. 18 for a final result under ranked-choice voting, amid a federal probe into a confusing ballot name.
By Beatriz Soto ·
Democrats held a narrow lead in the U.S. Senate as polls closed Tuesday night in Alaska, but the state's ranked-choice voting system means the winner is not yet determined. The race between incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Representative Mary Peltola has become a potential tiebreaker for Senate control.
The count began slowly, with Peltola leading early returns. Sullivan eventually overtook the Democrat, but neither candidate secured the 50 percent plus one threshold of first-choice votes needed to win outright. The race is now in a holding pattern while officials tally remaining ballots.
Sullivan told supporters in Anchorage that the outcome would take time to finalize. He expressed confidence that he would win reelection once every vote was counted. Peltola, at her election night party, urged patience, noting the state must count votes from remote communities and overseas service members.
The final deadline for receiving ballots is Nov. 18. Alaska allows up to 15 days for overseas ballots to arrive after Election Day. If no candidate reaches the 50 percent mark, the state will eliminate the lowest-ranked candidate and redistribute their votes in a series of rounds.
The race was complicated by the presence of a third candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg. He won 2.5 percent of the vote in the August primary. The New York Times reported that Peltola's campaign was involved in efforts to recruit him, a claim Peltola and Dan J. Sullivan have both denied.
President Donald Trump labeled the third candidate "fake" and ordered the Justice Department to sue if the incumbent lost. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, which was filed less than two weeks before the election. The Justice Department has since appealed the decision.
The Justice Department confirmed last week that a criminal investigation is underway. U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman did not specify the targets or the potential crimes. Donors to Dan J. Sullivan's campaign said FBI agents asked them if they felt deceived by the lesser-known candidate. The ballot listed the incumbent as Dan S. Sullivan and the third candidate as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
Sullivan called the situation the biggest election cheating scandal in Alaska's history. He told reporters that the scheme treated Alaskans with disrespect. Peltola responded by telling her supporters they were smart people who knew exactly who they were voting for.
