Uncalled races will dictate congressional balance of power

(NewsNation) — The still-undecided U.S. House majority and some local-level races are on track to be even narrower than either Republicans or Democrats had expected, as some contests had not been called yet as of Friday morning.

Preliminary results from Georgia to California paint a picture of unexpectedly competitive contests that could take days to decide.

The incumbents whose races are still in question include Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert and California Democrat Katie Porter.

Boebert, a firebrand conservative, is in a neck-and-neck contest with Frisch in the 3rd Congressional District, which covers 26 counties across the expansive southwestern half of the state.

As of 7 a.m. CT Friday, an estimated 97% of votes were in, according to Decision Desk HQ. Boebert was leading by votes 1,122 votes.

While the race is still undetermined, a Republican will hold Alaska’s U.S. Senate seat following the state’s ranked-choice election.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski seeks to fend off a challenge from Donald Trump-endorsed fellow Republican Kelly Tshibaka.

Tshibaka held an edge over Murkowski in early first-choice votes released late Tuesday. The race also included Democrat Pat Chesbro and Republican Buzz Kelley. Kelley in September suspended his campaign and endorsed Tshibaka.

As of 7 a.m. CT Friday, an estimated 70% of votes were in, according to Decision Desk HQ, with Tshibaka leading by votes 3,130 votes.

Under ranked voting, ballots are counted in rounds. A candidate can win outright with more than 50% of the vote in the first round. If no one hits that threshold, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Voters who chose that candidate as their top pick have their votes count for their next choice.

Rounds continue until two candidates remain, and whoever has the most votes wins. Tabulation rounds are expected to take place on Nov. 23.

Meanwhile in California, on the local level, the race to become the next mayor of Los Angeles is in limbo. This comes as the latest batch of election results show Rick Caruso’s lead over Karen Bass diminishing.

The new totals showed the gap between the two candidates had shrunk to less than 3,000 votes. With 545,187 votes counted, Caruso currently leads with 273,941 votes with Bass receiving 271,246, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Both Bass and Caruso have expressed optimism about their chances of ultimately being declared winners.

Bass’s campaign released a statement saying: “In the coming days, the voice of the people of Los Angeles will be heard and we feel confident that we will win. As mayor, Karen Bass will chart a new direction for Los Angeles with comprehensive solutions for homelessness, public safety and affordability.“

Caruso also released a statement to NewsNation affiliate KTLA that reads: “There are a lot of votes to count. We’re cautiously optimistic about these numbers and looking forward to the next series of results. There is so much work to be done around homelessness and crime, we’re eager to move forward.” 

NewsNation affiliate KTLA The Associated Press contributed to this report.