Tight Senate Races Keep Mississippi and Alaska Votes in Focus

Unresolved election contests across the United States are keeping the 2026 midterm results in focus, as vote counting continues in several closely contested races. Mississippi and Alaska have particularly narrow Senate margins, while congressional contests and a California billionaire wealth tax proposal remain undecided, according to BBC reporting published November 5, 2026.

The remaining results could affect the size of the Democratic majority in Congress. Among the closely watched contests are races involving prominent Republican incumbents and candidates aligned with President Donald Trump.

In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by slightly more than 1,100 votes. State officials have until November 10 to count provisional ballots and mail ballots arriving after Election Day.

Colom emphasized economic concerns during his campaign, while Hyde-Smith, the first woman to represent Mississippi in the US Congress, received Trump's endorsement and campaigned alongside him.

A Colom victory would make him the first Black US senator elected in Mississippi since 1875 and the first Democrat to win the state's Senate seat since 1982. Mississippi has the highest percentage of African American residents of any US state, and this demographic overwhelmingly supports Democratic candidates.

Alaska's Senate contest is similarly close. Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan by slightly more than 600 votes, with additional ballots still awaiting counting.

Peltola, a former congresswoman and Native American, centered her campaign on "fish, family and freedom". Sullivan, who is seeking another term after serving two terms, highlighted his efforts to secure tax cuts for Americans and "unleash Alaska's energy potential".

The Alaska contest has also faced controversy over another candidate named Dan Sullivan appearing on the ballot. The New York Times reported allegations last week that Peltola and Alaska Democrats recruited the independent candidate to draw votes away from Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. Peltola denied knowing about any such arrangement.

Several House races also remain unresolved. In Colorado's Fourth District, Republican Lauren Boebert, a prominent Trump ally, trails Democrat Eileen Laubacher by a narrow margin, with 7% of ballots still uncounted.

In Tennessee's reliably Republican Fourth District, incumbent Representative Scott DesJarlais is behind Democrat Victoria Broderick. Meanwhile, Republican incumbent Eli Crane leads Democrat Jonathan Nez by fewer than 4,000 votes in Arizona's Second District, where substantial counting remains.

Republican defeats in these contests, alongside House races in Nevada and Ohio, could further expand the Democratic majority and represent a broader electoral setback for Trump and his Make America Great Again movement.

California voters are also deciding Proposition 40, a proposal that would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of approximately 200 billionaires living in the state. The measure is intended to generate tens of billions of dollars in public revenue.

As of Wednesday, opposition exceeded support by approximately one million votes, although only 61% of ballots had been counted. Supporters say the proposal could generate $100 billion for healthcare and education, while California Governor Gavin Newsom has opposed the measure, exposing divisions among Democrats.

Kansas is another state with an unresolved statewide contest. Democrat Cindy Holscher leads Republican Ty Masterson by several thousand votes in the governor's race.

Holscher focused her campaign on rising prices, while Masterson promoted his business, agriculture, oil and gas credentials. Kansas has elected governors from the opposite political party of their predecessors for more than 50 years. A Masterson victory would extend that pattern, while a Holscher win would break it following two-term Democratic Governor Laura Kelly.