Alaska Senate Race: Mary Peltola Extends Lead as Vote Count Continues

The 2026 Alaska Senate race is attracting national attention as Democratic candidate Mary Peltola continues to lead Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in the ongoing vote count.

Updated election results released on November 13 showed Peltola strengthening her advantage, bringing the closely watched contest closer to a possible conclusion.

Mary Peltola Expands Her Lead

According to the latest available figures reported by Alaska News, Peltola received 49.84% of first-choice votes, compared with 46.09% for Sullivan.

Her lead increased to approximately 10,412 votes following the latest ballot update.

The new results included 22,511 additional ballots from across Alaska, with a significant portion coming from absentee voting.

Why Is the Election Still Not Decided?

Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system for certain elections.

Under this system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the first-choice votes, additional counting rounds may be necessary.

This means the final outcome could depend on both the remaining ballots and the ranked-choice tabulation process.

More Ballots Are Still Being Counted

Election officials still had additional ballots to review following the November 13 update.

These included questioned ballots and overseas ballots that could affect the final first-choice totals.

According to the Alaska Division of Elections, the 2026 general election results were still unofficial as of its November 13 update.

What Happens Next?

The Alaska Division of Elections scheduled ranked-choice voting tabulations for November 18 after eligible ballots are reviewed and counted.

If no candidate reaches the required majority, the ranked-choice process will determine the winner.

The race remains an important national political story because its outcome could influence the balance of power in the US Senate.

Source: Alaska Division of Elections; Alaska News, November 13, 2026.