Midterm Election Watch Guide: When GOP Will Know If It’s Time To Hit Panic Button Or Reach For Champagne

Several key races on Tuesday will determine if Republicans were able to beat expectations after trailing Democrats in the polls.

The elections appeared grim for Republicans in both the House and Senate races, particularly as voters remained dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy. The races in deep-red states and districts, such as Ohio, Kansas and Texas, as well as in battleground states like Michigan, will be the most anticipated matchups to watch Tuesday night.

Alaska Senate

The Alaska Senate race has been embroiled in legal woes and investigations after The New York Times reported that former Democratic Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola’s campaign and aides with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) coordinated to recruit other Republican candidates to run against Republican Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan. Former schoolteacher Dan J. Sullivan entered the race in June and will appear on the ballot, which could confuse voters into voting for the wrong Sullivan.

Aides with the DSCC introduced Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz to former members of Peltola’s team, who informed them he was in contact with another Sullivan from Petersburg. He attempted to recruit other Alaskans to run as Republicans by traveling to several communities and meeting different individuals in casual settings.

Matthew Salisbury of Anchorage told the Times that he got a call from an unfamiliar number with an Ohio area code. The person, who identified himself as Zane, met with him at a pub and urged him to run for Senate. When the Times showed Salisbury a photograph of Kurtz, Salisbury confirmed that Kurtz was the person in question.

Alaska’s open voting system made this scheme possible, given that candidates can claim any party affiliation on the ballot without being vetted by parties themselves, according to the Times. Republicans backed an effort to help a candite serving time in a New York prison stay on the ballot when Peltola ran for reelection to the House in 2024.

The Department of Justice subpoenaed over three dozen individuals as part of its investigation into the Democrats’ scheme. Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the scheme violated any laws.

Peltola led by an average of 1.2 points as of Friday, though it remains to be seen how the Times’ report will impact her chances.