Mississippi and Alaska Senate races within 2,000 votes; Hegseth and Rubio stay
Democrat Scott Colom led Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by just over 1,800 votes in Mississippi on Friday with about 3,600 mail ballots outstanding, and Mary Peltola was around 600 ahead of Dan Sullivan in Alaska, as the last two Senate contests stayed uncalled. In the House Democrats led 253 to 157 with 25 seats open. The White House dismissed as “fake news” reports that Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth would leave after the Republican defeat.
Mississippi, which has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1982 and does not allow recounts, must certify by 13 November; Republicans have asked for affidavit ballots to be preserved, which Mr Colom’s camp called “a desperate stunt”. In Kansas Democrat Cindy Holscher led for governor by several thousand votes out of more than a million. Donald Trump said Mr Hegseth had “done a fantastic job” and that he had “every intention” of keeping him; Mr Rubio told the New York Times staying had “always been my plan”. The Republican congressman Thomas Massie intends to file an impeachment resolution against the defence secretary early next week. Mr Trump posted: “I JUST WASN’T ON THE BALLOT. IF I WERE, WE WOULD HAVE WON IN A LANDSLIDE!” Elsewhere, Nithya Raman, backed by the Democratic Socialists, beat Karen Bass for Los Angeles mayor with just over 52% of the vote; Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a 14-day pause on Mr Trump’s 250ft triumphal arch after the planning commission approved it 8–4; and he signed an order declaring the Oval Office a national monument that cannot be “ripped down by stupid people”.