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File image of Republican Dan Sullivan from Alaska who was re-elected to the US Senate today. Mark Thiessen
US Senate
Battle for US Senate to continue until Georgia run-offs in January
Republicans won a seat in Alaska today, meaning neither party can assume a majority until the Georgia run-offs.
CONTROL OF THE US Senate will not be decided until the new year after Republicans won a seat in Alaska.
Neither the Republicans or Democrats can assume a majority until January run-off elections in Georgia.
Incumbent Alaska Republican senator Dan Sullivan defeated Al Gross, an independent running as a Democrat, today.
In Alaska earlier today, it was projected that Trump has won the state after 75% of the expected vote was counted.
With Democratic president-elect Joe Biden’s victory, Republicans are still short of the 51 seats they need for majority control.
They have a 49-48 hold on the Senate with the Alaska win, but two races in Georgia are heading to a run-off on 5 January.
The race in North Carolina remains too early to call, where Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham has conceded to Republican senator Thom Tillis.
With Biden as president-elect, the path to keeping Senate control is more difficult for Republicans.
The vice president of the party in power, which on 20 January will be Kamala Harris, is the tie-breaker.
That means if Republicans only have 50 seats, Democrats control the Senate.
The Georgia run-off elections are swiftly becoming a showdown over control of the chamber.
The state is closely divided, with Democrats making gains on Republicans, but no Democrat has been elected senator in some 20 years.
Republican senator Kelly Loeffler will face Rafael Warnock, a pastor from the church where Martin Luther King Jr preached, while Republican senator David Perdue, a top Trump ally, will face Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff.
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