Washington — The Associated Press reported Wednesday afternoon that a handful of high‑profile Senate and governor contests remain uncalled as vote totals continue to be tallied. The close margins come amid a broader national picture in which Democrats have flipped seats that Republicans won comfortably two years ago, securing control of both chambers of Congress.
Mississippi Senate race still too close to call
In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom holds a lead of only a few dozen votes over incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde‑Smith. Several thousand provisional ballots are still pending, and the state has until Nov. 10 to resolve them. In the 2022 election, about 5,700 provisional ballots were counted, and Mississippi law does not provide an automatic recount; a challenger must seek a court order to trigger one.
Alaska’s Senate and governor contests remain undecided
Alaska’s Senate race pits incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan against Democrat Mary Peltola, who leads by 626 votes with roughly 74% of ballots counted. State law requires a candidate to receive more than 50% of the vote to avoid a ranked‑choice tabulation, so the final outcome will depend on the remaining votes.
In the governor’s race, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss‑Tomkins enjoys a 20‑point advantage over Republican Bernadette Wilson, holding 49.2% of the vote with an estimated 74% of ballots counted. Like the Senate contest, the governor’s election will move to a ranked‑choice round if no candidate surpasses the 50% threshold.
Kansas governor’s race extremely tight
In Kansas, Democrat Cindy Holscher leads Republican Ty Masterson by less than one percentage point, with a 5,557‑vote margin and about 98% of votes counted. Both candidates currently serve in the state Senate, where the Republican holds the presidency. Holscher’s lead follows the historic election of Democrat Adam Hamilton, who became the first member of his party to win a Kansas Senate seat in nearly a century.
House races still pending
Beyond the Senate and governor contests, the AP notes that 59 House races where party control is at stake have yet to be called. The organization emphasizes that it will only declare a winner when no plausible scenario remains for the trailing candidate to close the gap.
What voters should expect
Election officials in each state will continue to count remaining absentee, provisional, and mail‑in ballots over the next several days. Voters should watch for local updates from their county clerks and state election boards, especially in states with ranked‑choice voting rules that could extend the counting process.
As the nation approaches the final days of the 2026 midterm election cycle, these uncalled races underscore the importance of every vote and the continued vigilance of election officials to ensure accurate results.
Original reporting: KTSA News/Talk (San Antonio) — read the source article.
