GOP sweeps Alaska

The Associated Press projected Wednesday that Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, would win reelection. A win by Sullivan gives Republicans 50 seats in the U.S. Senate. President Donald Trump picked up the state’s three electoral votes the same day, marking the 14th straight time a Republican presidential candidate has won the state. Republican U.S. Rep. Don Young also won the state’s at-large seat in the House for the 25th consecutive time. Young, who has represented the state since 1973, is the longest-serving member of the House.

What does that mean for the Senate? Cal Cunningham on Tuesday conceded to GOP Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina’s race. That puts the Republican Party on the brink of retaining its majority in the Senate. Runoff elections in Georgia in January will decide the winners of the two final seats in the Senate. Democrats need to win both plus the presidency to hold a majority in the chamber. The margin for the presidential race is so tight in Georgia that the state is doing a hand recount of the ballots, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger said Wednesday.

Dig deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s report on this week’s key political questions.