November 5 Alaska Senate results watch that explicitly identifies uncalled races, provisional returns and ranked-choice rules.
A closely contested Senate election remains uncalled
Alaska's U.S. Senate contest between Democratic former representative Mary Peltola and incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan was still uncalled by the Associated Press on November 5, 2026. Peltola held a narrow lead in reported first-choice votes on Wednesday, but officials still needed to count absentee and overseas ballots, including ballots from remote Alaska communities. The reported lead is not a certified victory, and it could change with late returns.
How Alaska's ranked-choice system works
The state uses ranked-choice voting in general elections. If no candidate wins more than 50% of first-choice votes, lower-ranking candidates are eliminated in subsequent tabulation rounds, and the remaining preferences on ballots can determine the winner. The Alaska Division of Elections schedules ranked-choice tabulation for November 18 once eligible votes have been received and reviewed. Preliminary hypothetical outcomes are not official results.
Why this race still matters
Democrats have already won the U.S. Senate majority nationally, so Alaska's result affects the size of that majority rather than deciding which party controls the chamber. The same counting process may determine the Alaska governor race between Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and several Republican candidates. CDN News will not publish a winner before AP or the state election authority calls or certifies the result.
Sources & transparency
Associated Press, Alaska Senate and governor counts Nov 5Alaska Division of Elections official results and ranked choice instructionsOriginal CDN News coverage. Sources are linked for reference.
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