The winner in Alaska is yet to be determined, leaving the final Senate margin open more than a week after the midterm elections. Democrats already hold 55 seats after Scott Colom win in Mississippi, and Alaska is the last race that could take them to 56.
Why it matters
The Mississippi result was declared late on Wednesday, when Colom beat Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by about 0.5 percentage points, or some 4,600 votes. It was one of the final races to be called, and the count dragged on as lawyers from both parties watched the remaining ballots.
Alaska has its own counting rhythm. The state counts ballots over a longer period, and the race there has not yet produced a clear winner. The delay is normal for Alaska, but it leaves the national picture incomplete at a moment when both parties want to know the final margin.
What happens next
The final number matters for how the Senate will work. At 55 seats, Democrats already have a working majority with room to spare. At 56, the margin grows wider still, and the party hand in negotiations with the White House strengthens further. The difference is real, even if it is only one seat.
For now, the count continues in Alaska and the wait continues in Washington. The Mississippi result settled the majority, but Alaska will settle the margin. Both parties are watching the count closely, and the final margin will shape the opening weeks of the new Senate when it takes office in January.
The Mississippi result was declared late on Wednesday, when Colom beat Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by about 0.5 percentage points, or some 4,600 votes, after 99 percent of ballots had been counted. Colom is the first Democrat to win a Mississippi Senate seat since John Stennis in 1982, and the first Black senator from the state since Blanche Bruce in 1874. The final number matters for how the Senate will work, and Alaska will decide whether it is 55 or 56. The count continues in Alaska, and the final margin will be known only when every last ballot is tallied and certified by the state.
