Alaska US Senate race is a tossup as more votes are counted, keeping Peltola and Sullivan close

This article is developing and will be updated.

Alaska is on course to elect its first Democratic U.S. senator since 2008 in a closely watched race that will help determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the U.S. Senate.

With 209 of 401 precincts reporting results Tuesday night, Peltola had 48.1% of voters’ first-choice votes. Republican incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan had 48% of the vote.

The candidates were separated by just 252 votes out of 165,124 cast.

Independent challenger Dan J. Sullivan had 1.6%, and Republican challenger Gerald Heikes had 2%. 

Peltola’s narrow lead follows a series of Democratic victories in U.S. Senate races across the country Tuesday night. If she prevails, she is expected to be the 55th or 56th Democratic senator in a large Democratic majority. 

In addition, if Peltola prevails, she and U.S. Sen.-elect Peggy Flanagan, D-Minnesota will be the first female Indigenous Senators in American history.

Some Republican officials said before the first results that they would challenge the legality of a Peltola victory, citing New York Times reporting that found Democratic campaigners recruited independent candidate Dan J. Sullivan in an attempt to siphon votes from the incumbent Dan S. Sullivan.

But late Tuesday, President Donald Trump — who ordered civil challenges against Peltola — told the Times he would not challenge the results of the election.