ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Democrats have already won control of the Senate, but two races are still hanging in the balance, and one of them may not be settled for weeks. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan were separated by just 298 votes in an early count, with Peltola narrowly ahead. In Mississippi, Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom were described by CBS News as neck-and-neck with nearly all votes in.

The outcomes will not decide which party controls the Senate, but they will determine just how large the Democratic majority is, and in Alaska, whether a state-level legal and procedural fight over a second candidate named "Sullivan" ends up shaping a national result.

Alaska: A Razor-Thin Margin

In vote totals reported by Newsweek as of 9:24 p.m. Alaska time, Peltola held 48.3 percent of the vote, or 79,017 ballots, to Sullivan's 48.1 percent, or 78,719. That 298-vote gap came with just 211 of 403 precincts reporting, so the picture will move substantially as the remaining ballots are tallied.

Republican Gerald L. Heikes had about 2 percent. And in a twist that has dominated the campaign's final weeks, independent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan, a second "Sullivan" on the ballot with no relation to the senator, drew 1.6 percent, or 2,693 votes. Those are not enough to flip the race on their own, but in a contest this close, every ballot matters.

A pre-election New York Times/Siena poll conducted October 23 to 30 had Peltola at 48 percent and Sullivan at 46 percent, a lead within the margin of error that has so far held up in the early returns. If Peltola prevails, she would become the 55th or 56th Democratic senator, according to Newsweek's accounting.

The Legal Fight Over the Second Sullivan

The Trump Justice Department sued over the presence of the second Sullivan on the ballot, arguing the same-name candidate could confuse voters. A judge dismissed the suit, and the Justice Department has said it plans to appeal. That appeal is a reminder that the dispute is not over, even after polls closed. Alaska officials have separately opened a criminal probe into how the second Sullivan came to appear on the ballot.

Any appeal that targets certification could add a layer of uncertainty to a count that is already slow by design.

Why Alaska Takes So Long

Alaska's count is never quick. The state will update its tally on November 10, November 13 and November 18. If no candidate has a majority, ranked-choice tabulation happens on November 18. Officials aim to certify the results by November 25. Overseas absentee ballots can arrive as late as 15 days after Election Day, which means ballots still in the mail could change the outcome.

Election analyst Burke Croft warned against reading too much into early totals, saying that in past elections the state has seen shifts as large as four points as late ballots are counted. In a race decided by a fraction of a point, that is more than enough to reverse the lead in either direction.

Mississippi: A Surprise Contest in Deep-Red Territory

Farther south, Mississippi produced one of the night's most surprising close calls. Hyde-Smith, a Republican incumbent in a state Trump carried comfortably, was locked in a tight contest with Colom, the Democratic district attorney, with nearly all votes reported but no call made as of 4:20 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday. A Colom upset would be among the biggest signs yet of how far the political environment shifted against Republicans.

What It Means for Americans

The practical stakes are significant. Every additional Democratic seat widens the margin the party has to pass legislation, confirm or block nominees, and withstand defections. A larger majority would reduce the leverage of any single senator, in either party, and make it harder for Republicans to use procedural tools to stall Democratic priorities.

The Alaska fight also carries broader implications for election administration. The involvement of the Justice Department in litigation over a candidate's name, combined with a criminal probe by state officials, is a preview of the kind of legal skirmishes that may surround other close contests in the coming weeks.

Voters in both states should expect patience to be required. In Alaska, final answers are unlikely before mid to late November, and a legal appeal could stretch the timeline further. Mississippi could be called sooner, but a margin this narrow may trigger a recount review.

Vote totals are from published reports as of the evening of November 3 Alaska time and will change as counting continues.

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