Live results from the 2026 Senate elections as Democrats claim two field victories

Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola told reporters Tuesday that she believes accusations of fraud made by her Republican opponent, incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, and other Republicans could have been “the push we ultimately needed to get people re-engaged.”

“Alaskans across the state know that Dan Sullivan voted for this war in Iran 14 times,” Peltola said. “You can’t hide from that, no matter how much slander and name-calling you do. So I honestly think to some extent it backfired, and our supporters said, ‘no, we’re not falling for those dirty tricks.'”

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit last month seeking to block certification of the results if the incumbent senator received fewer votes than Peltola, but a federal judge dismissed the suit on Sunday. Amid the litigation, The New York Times reported last week that there had been a secret effort by political operatives aligned with Peltola’s campaign to help recruit Daniel J. Sullivan to lure voters away from the senator. Peltola has denied any involvement in the alleged plan.

Asked if she expected more legal challenges, Peltola said: “I believe in the rule of law. I believe in justice. I believe in our courts, and I have every confidence that things will turn out the way they should.”

In Anchorage, Alaska, several voters said they thought the vote was clear despite the controversy surrounding the two Dan Sullivans, although they differed on the legitimacy of the dispute itself.

Michael Hanson, a 66-year-old Republican who voted for Dan Sullivan, said he was unhappy the matter was going to court and wanted the decision left up to voters. Barbara Konrad, a moderate voter who also supported Sullivan, said Mary Peltola was “corrupted too quickly” and was frustrated by the volume and tone of political ads in the Senate race.

— Imani Agbionu and Taurus Small