The Democratic midterm gains recorded across the 2026 US election cycle are becoming increasingly significant, as the party makes progress in different electoral contests while several closely fought races remain undecided.
Attention has turned to Mississippi, Alaska and Los Angeles, where outstanding votes could determine the outcome of two Senate contests and a major mayoral election.
The latest figures published by The Guardian on November 4 showed that Democrat Scott Colom was leading Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith by just 65 votes in Mississippi, with 96 per cent of ballots counted.
In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola was also ahead of Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, although the margin was less than one percentage point with 74 per cent of votes counted.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles was witnessing another closely contested political battle, as progressive challenger Nithya Raman maintained a narrow advantage over Democratic incumbent Karen Bass.
These contests have attracted considerable attention because their outcomes could provide further evidence of the political shifts taking place during the midterm elections.
Mississippi Senate race threatens historic Republican setback
One of the most remarkable developments is unfolding in Mississippi, traditionally a difficult state for Democratic Senate candidates.
Democrat Scott Colom is challenging Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is seeking to retain her position in the US Senate.
With 96 per cent of the votes counted, Colom had established a lead of only 65 votes, leaving the contest too close to produce a definitive winner.
The narrow margin means that the remaining ballots could determine whether Democrats achieve an extraordinary breakthrough or Republicans successfully defend the seat.
Why Colom’s possible victory would be historic
A Democratic victory would represent a major departure from Mississippi’s recent Senate election history.
Democrats have not won a US Senate seat in the state since 1982, making the possibility of Colom’s victory particularly significant.
The political implications become even clearer when the state’s recent presidential voting pattern is considered.
Donald Trump carried Mississippi by 22 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. A Democratic Senate victory in such a heavily Republican state would therefore represent a striking political development.
However, Colom’s narrow advantage should not be mistaken for a confirmed victory. With votes still outstanding, Hyde-Smith retains an opportunity to close the gap.
The final outcome could also depend on where the remaining ballots were cast and how those votes are distributed between the candidates.
For Democrats, Mississippi represents an opportunity to achieve something the party has struggled to accomplish for more than four decades.
For Republicans, retaining the seat would prevent a potentially damaging defeat in a state that strongly supported Trump during the last presidential election.
Alaska Senate contest complicated by ranked-choice voting
The Senate battle in Alaska presents another challenge for Republicans, with Democrat Mary Peltola leading incumbent Dan Sullivan by less than one percentage point.
Although 74 per cent of the votes had been counted at the time of the update, the eventual winner could take longer to emerge because of the state’s ranked-choice voting system.
Unlike a conventional election in which the candidate with the highest number of votes wins immediately, ranked-choice voting allows voters to indicate their preferences in order.
How Alaska’s voting system determines a winner
Under the system, voters rank candidates according to their preferred choices rather than selecting only one candidate.
If no candidate secures the required majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.
Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate are then redistributed according to the next available preference indicated by each voter.
This process continues through successive rounds until one candidate obtains a majority.
Consequently, the candidate leading during the initial count is not automatically guaranteed victory.
Peltola’s advantage over Sullivan is therefore important, but it does not settle the contest.
The redistribution of votes could alter the standings, particularly if the candidates remain separated by such a small margin.
This is why Alaska’s final result may take longer to establish than the outcome of other closely contested races.
For Democrats, Peltola’s position offers an opportunity to secure another significant Senate victory. Republicans, meanwhile, will be hoping Sullivan can retain his seat through the remaining counting and preference transfers.
Raman takes narrow lead over Bass in Los Angeles mayoral contest
Beyond the Senate races, Los Angeles has emerged as another important centre of attention.
Read also: Democrats capture Congress in sweeping midterm victory as Trump blames Fox News
Democratic incumbent Karen Bass is facing a challenge from progressive city council member Nithya Raman, whose campaign has placed the mayoral position under serious pressure.
The latest figures showed that only 63 per cent of the votes had been counted, with Raman holding a narrow lead.
Although the advantage gives the challenger an encouraging position, the outstanding ballots mean that the contest remains unresolved.
Bass faces challenge from within the Democratic Party
The Los Angeles contest is particularly interesting because it is not a conventional battle between Democratic and Republican candidates.
Bass is seeking to retain the mayoralty against Raman, a challenger from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
The contest therefore reflects political competition within the same party, with voters deciding between an incumbent and a candidate seeking a different direction for the city.
Raman’s narrow lead could represent a significant political development if it survives the remaining count.
However, with more than a third of the votes still uncounted, Bass has not been eliminated from contention.
The final result will depend on the remaining ballots and whether Raman can maintain her advantage as counting progresses.
Exit polls point to wider Democratic movement
The individual contests are taking place against a broader electoral backdrop that appears favourable to Democrats.
According to exit poll data compiled by the Associated Press, there were shifts in favour of Democrats across every category examined during the 2026 midterm election cycle.
The Guardian reported the development using analysis from its data team, indicating that the Democratic movement was not confined to one particular electoral category.
This wider pattern is important because midterm elections provide an opportunity to assess voter attitudes towards the political parties and the direction of the country.
While individual races are influenced by local candidates and state-specific issues, movement across different voter categories can offer a broader indication of the political mood.
Nevertheless, the available update does not provide the detailed percentages or individual category breakdowns. Those figures should not be assumed from the general finding that Democrats made gains.
Outstanding results could reshape the final election picture
The Mississippi and Alaska Senate contests remain particularly important because both could produce significant consequences for the balance of power in Washington.
Colom’s narrow lead in Mississippi has placed a historically difficult state within reach of Democrats, while Peltola’s advantage in Alaska has kept another Republican-held seat under pressure.
In Los Angeles, Raman’s challenge to Bass has added another closely watched contest to an election cycle already marked by notable Democratic movement.
However, none of these three races should be treated as concluded while substantial numbers of ballots remain uncounted.
The Democratic midterm gains are becoming a defining feature of the election, but the final results from these outstanding contests will help establish the full extent of the party’s progress.
For now, Mississippi’s 65-vote Senate margin, Alaska’s ranked-choice voting process and Raman’s narrow advantage in Los Angeles remain among the most important developments awaiting resolution.
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