Peltola leads Sen. Sullivan by under 700 in Alaska as 'Decoy Dan' has 3,600 votes

Alaska's U.S. Senate race remains too close to call, with former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola leading incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan by fewer than 700 votes while a second candidate also named Dan Sullivan — dubbed "Decoy Dan" — has taken about 3,600 votes, Fox News reported Thursday.

The Associated Press said roughly a quarter of Alaska's ballots were still uncounted as of Thursday morning. Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher who entered the race in May, has drawn more than five times the current margin between Peltola and Sen. Sullivan. One voter told Fox he believed he had accidentally backed the wrong Dan Sullivan.

The Justice Department opened an investigation into Daniel J. Sullivan in July. An October New York Times report said he had met with Democratic operatives and members of Peltola's campaign staff; Peltola has denied any involvement. Under Alaska's ranked-choice system, lower finishers can be eliminated and their second-choice votes redistributed if no one clears 50 percent.

Mississippi's Senate race is also razor-thin: Democrat Scott Colom led Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by about 1,138 votes with 95.6% counted, per AP figures cited by Fox.