Alaska Republican Wins Reelection, Giving GOP 50 Seats In The Senate — Now All Eyes On Georgia For Majority
Alaska Republican Senator Dan Sullivan secured reelection against Democratic challenger Al Gross, eight days after Election Day, bringing Republican seats to 50, just one seat shy of maintaining its control of the Senate.
Democrats, on the other hand, have 48 seats in the Senate, based on projections made by The Associated Press.
Congratulations, @DanSullivan_AK! pic.twitter.com/inFOOnTJwW
— GOP (@GOP) November 11, 2020
“Congratulations,@DanSullivan_AK!” the GOP social media said on Wednesday as reports came out of Senator Sullivan winning the state by 20 points.
In a statement, National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Senator Todd Young of Indiana also congratulated his win.
“I want to congratulate my fellow Marine, Senator Dan Sullivan on his victory,” Sen. Todd Young said. “Alaskans know Dan as a man who always puts service before self and who has championed the unique needs of his state in Washington. The state will be well served with another six years of his representation.”
Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan wins reelection, giving GOP 50 seats in Senate https://t.co/UvQMRTJcGM #FoxNews
— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) November 11, 2020
BREAKING: President Trump and Senate Republicans win Alaska, overwhelmingly and by a massive 20 point spread!
Put AK in the books for @realDonaldTrump! Congratulations Senator @DanSullivan_AK!
Thank you Alaska! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/pr7Gz0S7q1
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) November 11, 2020
All eyes on Georgia run-off
Sullivan’s victory delivered another Senate seat for Republicans on Wednesday — only one seat short of maintaining the majority in the Senate.
This puts the focus on two Georgia runoff elections in January.
Republicans need at least one of those seats to keep the Senate majority, but a Democratic sweep of the two Senate seats up for grabs would mean that Senator Kamala Harris, who was earlier proclaimed by the media as vice president-elect, would be the tie-breaking vote in favor of Democrats.
Georgia requires a candidate to receive at least 50% of the vote to win, and in the last November 3 election, no candidate in the two separate races — between Republican Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock, as well as Sen. David Perdue and Democrat challenger Jon Ossoff — received more than half the vote.
Sullivan was first elected as Alaska’s senator in 2015. He was formerly the state’s attorney general and was also commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
He also served in the military under the Bush government.
On Wednesday, The Associated Press also called the presidential election in Alaska for incumbent President Trump giving him three more electoral votes.
ELECTION UPDATE: President Trump has won the state of Alaska, according to a race call by the AP. https://t.co/HGHVvUHErm pic.twitter.com/TvOoRNc0Tj
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) November 11, 2020
Trump wins Alaska and its three electoral college votes https://t.co/vlNdnKdMj9 pic.twitter.com/xSSbSKENHC
— New York Post (@nypost) November 11, 2020
Some publications noted, however, that the Alaska win will not impact the result of the recently-concluded election were Joe Biden was hailed as president by major media outlets.
