The campaign for former Representative Mary Peltola announced on Wednesday that her lead in the Alaska Senate race remains intact, though the margin has narrowed following the latest batch of results. The Democratic team argued that incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan is losing ground in his ability to close the gap in what has been a traditionally Republican stronghold.
According to unofficial data released by the Alaska Division of Elections, Peltola currently leads Sullivan by 3,975 votes. This figure represents a decrease from the previous day’s count, when the gap stood at 4,250 votes. The shift was largely attributed to ballots from the Mat-Su region, an area that typically leans conservative.
Peltola’s campaign noted that Sullivan gained only 275 votes on the Democrat in the most recent count. Campaign officials described this margin as smaller than anticipated for a district with a historical preference for the Republican Party.
Cheryl Bruce, the campaign manager for Peltola, issued a statement emphasizing that the latest results demonstrate the incumbent’s path to victory is increasingly difficult. She stated that Mary continues to overperform in traditionally conservative areas around the state, serving as another proof point that Sullivan’s chances are diminishing. Bruce added that voters are prioritizing Alaska over party affiliation.
Bruce further noted that tens of thousands of outstanding early and absentee ballots from Anchorage and rural parts of the state have yet to be counted. Her team expects these remaining votes to favor Peltola, which they believe will secure her position in the United States Senate.
As of Thursday morning, Decision Desk HQ reported that Peltola holds 48.57 percent of the vote, while Sullivan has received 46.98 percent. The race remains tight, with a significant number of ballots still pending final certification.
The current lead for Peltola has dropped below the approximately 4,100 votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan. The presence of this third candidate on the ballot led the Trump administration to file a lawsuit in October. The administration argued that voters might confuse the similarly named candidate with the incumbent senator, potentially affecting the final outcome.
The Department of Justice sought to block the certification of any election results influenced by this potential confusion. They asked a federal judge to segregate the ballots cast for the other Sullivan. However, U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the lawsuit before Election Day. The judge ruled that the administration had not provided a practical plan to address its concerns without compromising voter secrecy or disrupting the election process.
The administration is currently appealing the decision. Additionally, some observers alleged that Peltola’s campaign sought out the other Sullivan to act as a spoiler candidate, a claim the Senate candidate has denied. This controversy has led to investigations by both federal and state officials.
The race continues to draw attention due to the narrow margins and the ongoing legal and administrative scrutiny surrounding the count. As the remaining ballots are processed, the final outcome of the Alaska Senate contest remains a subject of close monitoring by both parties and election officials.
