A strong performance by Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections has reshaped the US political landscape, but several closely fought races across the country remain unresolved.
The Al Jazeera report described the midterms as a Democratic romp, but five contests remain too close to call. In Alaska, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan trails Democratic challenger Mary Peltola by 626 votes. If neither candidate exceeds 50 percent, the race will go to ranked-choice voting under state law.
In the Alaska governor’s race, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has 49.2 percent of the vote, with an estimated 74 percent of ballots counted, and is facing Republican Bernadette Wilson. Kansas governor: Democrat Cindy Holscher leads Republican Ty Masterson by 5,557 votes, with an estimated 98 percent of votes counted.
Mississippi Senate: Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 43 votes, with an estimated 96 percent of votes tallied. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass is locked in a tight contest with Nithya Raman, who is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Raman has 51.1 percent of the vote to Bass’s 48.9 percent, with roughly one-third of ballots still uncounted.
Voters cast their ballots at a polling station inside a shopping mall in Anchorage, Alaska, on November 2, 2026 [Charly Triballeau/AFP]
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The outcome of these unresolved races will determine control of several Senate and governor seats, shaping the balance of power ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
- Ranked-choice voting in Alaska could delay a final result and test the system’s handling of a razor-thin margin.
- The close margins in Mississippi and Kansas show Democratic gains in traditionally conservative states, potentially signalling a broader shift in voter sentiment.
Background
The 2026 US midterm elections took place on 3 November, with all 435 House seats, 34 Senate seats, and 39 state governorships up for election. Early results pointed to a strong Democratic night, but several races remained too close to call as of 4 November. State laws on vote counting and recount thresholds mean final results in some contests may take days or weeks.
What to Watch
- Alaska Senate race: whether Peltola’s lead holds above 50 percent or the race enters ranked-choice tabulation.
- Mississippi Senate: the 43-vote margin is likely to trigger an automatic recount.
- Los Angeles mayoral race: with a third of ballots uncounted, the outcome depends heavily on late mail-in and provisional votes.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedA Democratic romp rocked the US midterms, while several key races remain undecided.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “A Democratic romp in the midterms has rocked the US political landscape, but several closely contested races remain too close to call.”
- SupportedClose contests in Alaska, Kansas, Mississippi and Los Angeles remain too close to call.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Alaska Senate: Republican Senator Dan Sullivan is seeking to retain his seat against Democratic challenger Mary Peltola, who has a 626-vote lead. ... Kansas governor: Democrat Cindy Holscher has a lead of less than a percentage point over Republican Ty Masterson. ... Mississippi Senate: Democratic candidate Scott Colom leads Republican incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 43 votes ... Los Angeles mayor: Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass is locked in a tight contest with Nithya Raman”
- SupportedDemocrats performed strongly in the 2026 midterms, reshaping the US political landscape.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “A Democratic romp in the midterms has rocked the US political landscape”
- SupportedAl Jazeera described the midterms as a Democratic romp.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “A Democratic romp in the midterms has rocked the US political landscape”
- SupportedFive contests remain too close to call.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Alaska Senate: ... Alaska governor: ... Kansas governor: ... Mississippi Senate: ... Los Angeles mayor: Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass is locked in a tight contest with Nithya Raman”
- SupportedMary Peltola leads Republican Senator Dan Sullivan by 626 votes in the Alaska Senate race.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Republican Senator Dan Sullivan is seeking to retain his seat against Democratic challenger Mary Peltola, who has a 626-vote lead.”
- SupportedIf neither Alaska Senate candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the race will go to ranked-choice voting under state law.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “If neither candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, then it will go to ranked-choice voting under Alaska law.”
- SupportedJonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has 49.2 percent of the vote in the Alaska governor’s race, with an estimated 74 percent of ballots counted, and faces Republican Bernadette Wilson.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is facing off against Republican Bernadette Wilson. Kreiss-Tomkins’s share of the vote is 49.2 percent with an estimated 74 percent of ballots counted.”
- SupportedCindy Holscher leads Ty Masterson by 5,557 votes in the Kansas governor’s race, with an estimated 98 percent of votes counted.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Holscher’s lead is 5,557, with an estimated 98 percent of the votes counted.”
- SupportedScott Colom leads incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 43 votes in the Mississippi Senate race, with an estimated 96 percent of votes tallied.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Democratic candidate Scott Colom leads Republican incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 43 votes with an estimated 96 percent of votes counted.”
- SupportedNithya Raman, backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, is in a tight Los Angeles mayoral contest with Karen Bass; Raman has 51.1 percent to Bass’s 48.9 percent, with roughly one-third of ballots uncounted.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass is locked in a tight contest with Nithya Raman, who is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Bass has 48.9 percent of the vote, compared with Raman’s 51.1 percent, with an estimated one-third of the ballots uncounted.”
- SupportedVoters cast ballots at a shopping-mall polling station in Anchorage, Alaska, on November 2, 2026.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Voters cast their ballots at a polling station inside a shopping mall in Anchorage, Alaska, on November 2, 2026 [Charly Triballeau/AFP]”