Donald Trump has declared victory for Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in Alaska’s fiercely contested Senate race, even though roughly 25 percent of the ballots remain uncounted and the contest is still too close to call.
“The Alaska Race is OVER. Dan Sullivan WON, BY A LOT!” the president wrote on Truth Social. No other major figure or organization has declared a winner.
The battle for Alaska’s Senate seat has drawn national and international scrutiny after Democrats were accused of helping recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan. Critics claim the similarly named contender was intended to confuse voters and potentially divert support from the Republican incumbent in favor of Democratic nominee Mary Peltola.
With approximately 74 percent of ballots counted, Peltola held a narrow lead of 637 votes over the Trump-endorsed senator as of Saturday afternoon. Officials have warned that the final result may not be known until later in November.
The second Dan Sullivan has received about 3,500 votes, giving his candidacy the potential to influence the outcome.
Trump’s post came roughly 30 minutes after Peltola shared a video on X addressing voters. She said she hoped Alaskans were enjoying a brief break from “attack ads and political mailers.”
“We are being patient waiting for more ballots to come in,” Peltola said. “In Alaska, it just takes a little bit longer as we wait for all of the ballots to come in.”
President Trump said Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan had won Alaska’s Senate race, although only about 74 percent of the vote had been counted and no other authority had called the contest
With about one-quarter of the vote still outstanding, the AP showed Mary Peltola holding a slim lead over her Republican opponent
As many as 70,000 ballots remain to be processed, leaving both campaigns focused on making the case that the remaining vote will break in their favor.
Peltola wrote on X on Thursday that “tens of thousands of early votes and absentee ballots are still outstanding,” adding that available data suggested those ballots would favor her and widen her advantage.
Sullivan, meanwhile, issued a statement on his campaign website arguing that Alaska’s ranked-choice voting process would ultimately deliver him the victory.
Alaska’s system awards the election immediately if a candidate secures more than 50 percent of first-choice votes. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the contender with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated.
Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate are then reassigned to the voter’s next-ranked choice, and the process continues until one candidate receives a majority.
As a result, Alaskans may have to wait until the end of the month to learn who will represent the state in the Senate.
DON’T MISS: Dems Ready Immigration Fight After Sweep as Miller Aide Becomes Chief
The largest batch of outstanding ballots is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, November 10.
Trump’s declaration came after he had previously said he would accept the results of the midterm elections
Alaska’s midterm ballot lists two candidates named Dan Sullivan
That date would mark the earliest possible point for a winner to be declared, provided either Peltola or Sullivan has secured more than half of the vote.
The state’s deadline for completing the count of remaining absentee, mail-in and provisional ballots is November 18.
The Alaska Division of Elections is not expected to certify the final results until November 25 at the earliest.
At the same time, an accelerated FBI investigation into the alleged “decoy” candidate scheme could add another layer of uncertainty to an already dramatic contest.
Two sources familiar with the inquiry told Our News Outlet that investigators questioned Peltola’s former campaign manager on Election Day.
The FBI approached Elisa Rios in Chicago on Tuesday, according to the sources.
“Full speed ahead,” one source said in describing the investigation.
Rios was allegedly involved in recruiting the second Dan Sullivan as part of an effort to confuse voters and draw support away from the Republican incumbent.
Peltola has denied having any role in the alleged operation.
Our News Outlet has contacted Peltola’s campaign and the White House for comment.
This is a developing story…
