Trump Demands Alaska Shift Votes to Sullivan
The president wants ballots cast for an independent Senate candidate credited to the Republican incumbent as counting continues.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Elections
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President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social demanding that Alaska transfer votes cast for independent Senate candidate Dan Sullivan to Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. Alaska continues counting ballots in the Senate race.
Why it matters
The demand comes after Republicans lost control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, and it raises questions about how vote totals are attributed while counting is still underway. Mississippi's Senate race is also still being counted, where Democrat Scott Colom is running against GOP incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Trump's post asked that votes for the independent Dan Sullivan be credited to the Republican Dan Sullivan, a request that does not reflect how Alaska tallies ballots for separately named candidates. Alaska and Mississippi Senate counts remain open, and the source does not provide final tallies.
The players
Donald Trump
The 47th President of the United States, a Republican who has frequently used Truth Social to comment on election results and political opponents.
Dan Sullivan
The Republican senator from Alaska seeking reelection, whose race is the subject of Trump's demand regarding votes cast for an independent candidate with the same name.
Cindy Hyde-Smith
The Republican incumbent U.S. senator from Mississippi, facing Democrat Scott Colom in a Senate race that is still being counted.
Scott Colom
The Democratic candidate challenging incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's Senate race, where Democrats see a possible late upset.
The details
Trump posted on Truth Social arguing the Alaska votes should go to the Republican Dan Sullivan and stated the election is over and the Republican easily wins. Democrats reportedly believe they could be on course for at least one last major upset in Mississippi, where votes are still being counted.
Timeline
Tuesday: 2026 midterm elections, after which Republicans lost control of the House and Senate.
November 5, 2026: Trump posted his demand on Truth Social.
Political Context
The demand echoes the 2000 Florida recount, when competing campaigns fought publicly over how contested ballots should be counted and attributed. Election officials in Alaska and Mississippi have not yet certified results, and the state counting process will determine whether the president's request has any bearing on the outcome.
Voters in Alaska and Mississippi will not know final Senate outcomes until counting and certification are complete, so ballots cast in these races remain tallied under state procedures. The president's request does not change how votes are counted or certified under state rules.
The takeaway
Final Senate results depend on each state's completed count and certification, not on public demands made before tabulation ends. Readers should watch official Alaska and Mississippi election updates for confirmed totals.
Further reading
For more context on how federal races are decided, explore the Elections section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Independent.
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