SPECIAL MIDTERM ELECTION REPORT
Federal Level
Thune Faces Calls to Delay GOP Leadership Election
Senate Republicans returned to Washington on Monday facing questions about whether to reelect Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota in a closed-door leadership vote scheduled for Tuesday. Speaking on the Senate floor, Thune said “the American people are not looking for socialist government and leftist fantasies” and that Republicans would oppose any attempt to expand the size of government. A small group of senators, including Mike Lee of Utah, has asked for a delay until the Alaska and Mississippi races are decided. President Trump called Thune “a very fine man” on Monday but said the decision “is up to the Senate.”1
Peltola Widens Lead Over Sullivan in Alaska Count
Democrat Mary Peltola widened her lead over Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan on Monday after the Alaska Division of Elections released about 5,000 more counted ballots. Peltola now leads by 2,517 first-choice votes, up from 637 votes in the previous update, according to the Anchorage Daily News. She holds 48.6% of the vote to Sullivan’s 47.5%, and a much larger batch of early and absentee ballots is set for release Tuesday. Sullivan and President Trump have questioned the results, citing claims that a second candidate named Dan Sullivan was recruited to confuse voters. A winner may not be known until Nov. 18.2, 3
Hyde-Smith Dodges Questions as Ballot Count Continues
Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith declined repeated questions about her reelection race on Monday as the Senate returned from a six-week recess. “We’re still counting votes,” she eventually told reporters who followed her through the Capitol. Democrat Scott Colom leads her by about 2,500 votes, according to CNN. In Hinds County, the state’s most populous county, officials expected to finish counting affidavit ballots by the end of Monday and upload results Wednesday, a county attorney told Mississippi Today. Colom’s campaign manager, Gerard Henderson, said Monday that the campaign is confident Colom will win once every lawful vote is counted.4, 5
Laubacher Declares Victory as Boebert Eyes a Recount
Democrat Eileen Laubacher declared victory on Monday over Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, although the Associated Press has not called the race. With about 98% of the vote counted, Laubacher led by 3,237 votes, a margin too wide to trigger an automatic recount, according to Colorado Politics. “This campaign was never about party labels,” Laubacher said in a statement. Boebert told supporters in a fundraising email that the race “is NOT over” and that her legal team expects a recount. CNN projected Laubacher as the winner Monday afternoon while she attended new member orientation in Washington.6, 7
State Level
Kansas Counties Hand Count Ballots in Governor Race
Johnson and Sedgwick counties began hand counting ballots on Monday as part of a statewide audit of the close Kansas governor’s race. State law requires all 105 counties to hand count ballots from 10% of their precincts when a race is within one percentage point. Democrat Cindy Holscher leads Republican Ty Masterson by between 7,000 and 8,000 votes, according to unofficial results, and the Associated Press has not called the race. Holscher has claimed victory, while Masterson has said he will wait for the audit to finish. Sedgwick County’s election commissioner said Monday that the count was going smoothly.8, 9
Kreiss-Tomkins Grows His Lead in Alaska Governor Race
Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins expanded his lead in the Alaska governor’s race on Monday after about 5,000 additional ballots were counted. The former state lawmaker from Sitka holds 49.4% of the vote, followed by Republican Bernadette Wilson at 28.8%, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson at 14% and former Attorney General Treg Taylor at 7.4%, according to the Anchorage Daily News. Preliminary ballot data shows that Wilson did not receive enough ranked support to move ahead of him. If he holds the lead, he would be Alaska’s first Democratic governor in more than two decades. Neither candidate has claimed victory or conceded.10
Donalds Names Four Leaders to Florida Transition Team
Florida Gov.-elect Byron Donalds, a Republican, announced the members of his transition team on Monday afternoon as he prepares to take over from Gov. Ron DeSantis. Miami business executive Manny Kadre, who chairs the University of Miami Board of Trustees, will lead the team. Ryan Smith, a senior campaign director, was named executive director, while Tarren Bragdon will serve as policy chair and Teresa Ressel as senior adviser. Donalds said the ticket won on a clear agenda to “make Florida more affordable, invest in Florida’s young people,” and keep the state leading with “common-sense governance and economic opportunity.”11
Repeal of Alaska Ranked Choice Voting Trails in Count
Updated results released Monday showed that Alaska’s Ballot Measure 2, which would repeal the state’s current election system, is on track to fail. The measure trailed with 52.3% of voters opposed, according to the Anchorage Daily News. It would have ended Alaska’s open primaries and ranked choice general elections and repealed some campaign finance disclosure laws. A separate measure affirming that Alaska voters must be U.S. citizens was on track to pass with 69.4% of the vote. Ranked choice tabulation could still decide this year’s close U.S. Senate race, where the last ballots are scheduled to be counted Nov. 18.10, 2
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Article Sources
1. KCRA (Associated Press), “Thune and Schumer face questions about Senate leadership in aftermath of elections,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://www.kcra.com/article/thune-schumer-questions-senate-leadership-midterms/74381263
2. Anchorage Daily News, “Mary Peltola inches further ahead of Sen. Sullivan in Alaska’s tight Senate race,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/11/09/mary-peltola-inches-further-ahead-of-sen-sullivan-in-alaskas-senate-race
3. Juneau Independent, “Peltola expands lead in updated vote count as Trump, Sullivan seek to cast doubt on results,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://www.juneauindependent.com/post/peltola-expands-lead-in-updated-vote-count-as-trump-sullivan-seek-to-cast-doubt-on-results
4. CNN, “‘Where is Cindy Hyde-Smith?’: In a nail-biter Senate race, the incumbent stays out of view in Mississippi,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/11/09/politics/mississippi-senate-hyde-smith-colom-campaign
5. Mississippi Today, “Hinds County wrapping Senate vote count,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://mississippitoday.org/2026/11/09/hinds-county-mississippi-senate-colom-hyde-smith/
6. Colorado Politics, “Eileen Laubacher claims victory over Lauren Boebert in close race,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://www.coloradopolitics.com/2026/11/09/lauren-boebert-eileen-laubacher-claims-victory-election-results/
7. UPI, “Democrat Laubacher declares victory over Boebert,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/11/09/Laubacher-declares-victory-over-boebert/9751794273343/
8. The Kansas City Star, “When will the Kansas governor race be called? Johnson County is hand counting ballots,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article317998692.html
9. The Wichita Eagle, “Audit of three close Kansas races is underway in Sedgwick County,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/election/article318001319.html
10. Anchorage Daily News, “Kreiss-Tomkins grows his lead in Alaska governor’s race,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://www.adn.com/politics/2026/11/09/kreiss-tomkins-grows-his-lead-in-alaskas-governors-race/
11. Florida Phoenix, “Meet Gov.-elect Byron Donalds’ transition team,” Nov. 9, 2026.
https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/11/09/meet-gov-elect-byron-donalds-transition-team/