The Alaska Senate race has been caught up in its own turmoil, after the New York Times reported that the campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola, 53, helped recruit a third candidate who shares the first and last name of her Republican opponent, Dan Sullivan, 61.
Peltola has denied involvement. Trump’s Justice Department has launched a criminal probe into the allegations and filed a lawsuit to block certification of the election results, though a judge dismissed the latter effort.
In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, 37, has his party once again dreaming of winning the biggest Republican state after decades of heartbreak.
His scandal-plagued opponent, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, 63, has benefited from a nine-figure investment from the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, who has spent hundreds of millions of dollars boosting Republicans.
In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton, 62, a megachurch pastor, held a narrow polling lead over Republican US Senator Roger Marshall, 66. The state voted for Trump by more than 16 percentage points in 2024 and has not elected a Democratic senator in nearly a century.
And in Maine, Republican US Senator Susan Collins, 73, is once again seeking to defy the Democratic leanings of her home state and win a sixth term. She faces Democrat Troy Jackson, 58, a former state senate president who unexpectedly became the nominee after Democratic oyster farmer Graham Platner dropped out amid accusations of misconduct, which he denied.
Other competitive Senate races are taking place in Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio and South Carolina, all Republican-held seats.
