Midterm tallies stall in Alaska, Mississippi, and Kansas as Democrats secure Congress

Key points

• The AP has not called four races: two Senate contests in Alaska and Mississippi, and two gubernatorial races in Alaska and Kansas.
• In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by 1,145 votes with 96% of ballots counted; provisional ballots are due by Nov. 10.
• Alaska’s Senate race between Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola is too close to call, with Peltola leading by 637 votes; the race may advance to ranked-choice voting.
• Alaska’s governor’s race features Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins leading by 20 points, but no candidate has reached 50%, triggering a potential second round.
• Kansas’s governor’s race is within one percentage point, with Democrat Cindy Holscher leading Republican Ty Masterson by 7,045 votes.

Background

These races follow a broader Democratic wave in the 2026 midterms, where the party flipped control of the House and Senate and won historic diversity milestones, including the first Black woman governor and first Muslim US senator. Kansas had not elected a Democratic governor in decades, and Mississippi’s Senate seat had been held by Republicans since 1982. The AP’s methodology requires no plausible path for the trailing candidate to close the gap before declaring a winner.

How outlets are covering it

The AP and NPR emphasize the procedural delays in Alaska and Mississippi, noting ranked-choice voting and provisional ballot counting, respectively. BBC highlights the political implications, such as Colom potentially becoming the first Black senator from Mississippi since 1875, and the controversy over a duplicate candidate name in Alaska. Politico focuses on post-election leadership transitions, with Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries and Rosa DeLauro positioning for key committee chairs, while Republicans like Tom Emmer and Lisa McClain launch bids for minority leadership. All sources agree that Democrats have secured control of Congress, but they differ on the urgency of the remaining races: AP and NPR treat them as technical delays, while BBC frames them as pivotal for the scale of the Democratic victory.

Why it matters

The outcome of these four races will determine the exact size of the Democratic majority in the Senate and the final tally of gubernatorial seats. A win for Colom in Mississippi would mark a historic shift in a state with the largest percentage of African Americans in the US. In Alaska, the potential for ranked-choice voting could alter the balance of power in a state that has been a Republican stronghold. Kansas’s governor’s race, if won by Holscher, would end a decades-long Republican dominance in the state. These results will also shape the new Congress’s agenda, including oversight of the Trump administration and debates over tariffs and immigration.

What to watch

Mississippi must resolve provisional ballots by Nov. 10, which could decide the Senate race. Alaska may proceed to a second round of ranked-choice voting for both Senate and governor races if no candidate reaches 50%. Kansas’s governor’s race will be called once all ballots are counted, potentially within days. Democrats will finalize their leadership structure, with Hakeem Jeffries expected to become the first Black speaker of the House. Republicans will elect their minority leadership, with Tom Emmer and Lisa McClain vying for key positions.