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Peltola nears 50%, takes 3.75% lead over Sen. Sullivan with 96% of expected ballots counted
Democratic challenger has 10,412-ballot lead with fewer than 12,000 left to be counted, according to estimate by AP, which has not yet called the race
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
This is a developing story.
Democratic challenger Mary Peltola appears to be nearing a mathematical lock on first-choice ballots in the U.S. Senate race, as she leads incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan by 10,412 votes with fewer than 12,000 remaining to be counted, according to results released Friday night.
However, she is still just shy of a majority with 49.84% of ballots tallied to Sullivan’s 46.09%, according to results released by the Alaska Division of Elections at about 7:15 p.m. The Associated Press estimates 96% of ballots cast have been counted, but has not yet projected a winner in the race.
Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sullivan, told The New York Times on Friday night that “we’re still waiting for every ballot to be counted. And we’ll see what happens from there.”
Peltola’s 3.75% lead over the incumbent far exceeds the 1.64% of ballots cast for retired Petersburg challenger Dan J. Sullivan, potentially making a legal challenge based on allegations he was recruited by the Peltola campaign to confuse voters moot.
Projections based on election division data show the ranked choice process will result in a Peltola win if she doesn’t get a majority of first-choice ballots.
In Alaska’s other congressional race, Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III has 47.83%, independent challenger Bill Hill 41.73%, Democratic federal prison inmate Eric Hafner 7.67% and Libertarian Jim McDermott 2.62%.
The governor’s race has been called with Democratic Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, currently at 50.81%, receiving more votes than the combined total of three Republican challengers, two of whom have conceded.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
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