AP withholds calls in tight Mississippi, Alaska Senate races

Summary

The short AP segment explains why the news organization has not yet declared winners in the U.S. Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska two days after the 2026 midterm elections. In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom holds a narrow lead over Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith with several thousand provisional ballots still to be counted. In Alaska, no candidate has reached the 50% threshold under the state's ranked-choice voting system; first-choice tallies show Democrat Mary Peltola slightly ahead of incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan with additional ballots pending.

The broadcast directs viewers to apnews.com for latest numbers, notes the next Alaska update on Nov. 10 and full RCV calculations on Nov. 18, and accurately describes how voters rank up to four candidates. Sourcing is entirely from AP's own election data team and state election rules with no named external guests.

Editorial Assessment

The segment is a straightforward, procedural explanation that accurately reflects AP's conservative race-calling standards, which require certainty that the trailing candidate has no mathematical path to victory. Viewers receive clear context on why calls are delayed—ongoing tabulation in both states and the mechanics of ranked-choice voting in Alaska—but miss the broader picture that Democrats have already secured a Senate majority regardless of these two outcomes. The presentation could subtly skew perception by not mentioning current leads (Colom by ~0.2 points, Peltola by ~0.3 points) or the spoiler-candidate controversy in Alaska, though these omissions align with AP's policy of avoiding speculation until ballots are fully processed. Overall, high accuracy with no unsupported claims.