As of Friday, three days after the Nov. 5 election, U.S. Senate races in Arizona and Nevada remain undecided, with Democratic candidates narrowly leading in both states. These outcomes will determine the final composition of the Senate, as Republicans have already flipped four seats to secure a majority, but Democratic leader Chuck Schumer hopes to prevent further losses.
Nevada Senate Race
In Nevada, incumbent Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen holds a slim lead over her Republican challenger, Ret. Army Capt. Sam Brown. Rosen currently has 665,840 votes (47.76%) to Brown’s 648,292 votes (46.50%), with a difference of over 17,500 votes, or 1.2 percentage points. Nearly 96% of precincts have reported, but the Associated Press has yet to call the race due to the significant number of outstanding mail-in ballots, which Nevada will continue to count through Saturday.
The Brown campaign remains optimistic about the final outcome, emphasizing the importance of counting every ballot. “There are still tens of thousands of uncounted ballots in the race for U.S. Senate, and the candidates are separated by less than one percent,” the campaign said in a statement, adding that “Sam Brown is committed to ensuring every legally cast, valid vote is counted.”
Rosen, meanwhile, expressed confidence in her lead. “We feel good about the results we’re seeing, but there are still thousands of votes to be counted,” she said on Wednesday. “Our democracy takes time, and I’m confident that we will win as more votes come in.”
Arizona Senate Race
In Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego leads Republican Kari Lake in the race to replace retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent. With 76.05% of precincts reporting, Gallego has a lead of more than 43,000 votes. Election officials have warned that final results could take longer due to Arizona’s unique vote-counting process, including the handling of two-page ballots and extensive ballot verification protocols. Maricopa County, the state’s largest, has been a particular focus, with officials reporting it could take up to two weeks for every ballot to be verified and counted.
“For the first time since 2006 here in Maricopa County, we have a two-page ballot, and we have races on both sides of those,” Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates said, explaining the extended timeline. “We anticipate that it will take people a little bit longer.”
A state law backed by GOP legislators also introduces additional verification steps, adding to the delays. All ballots dropped off at polling locations must first be hand-counted, and any ballots with discrepancies can be “cured” by voters within five days.
The large number of mail-in ballots arriving just before polls closed has further slowed the process. Officials estimate that nearly half a million ballots remain to be counted in Maricopa County alone, including early votes that arrived throughout October.
Voter Turnout and the Road Ahead
Both Senate races reflect the high stakes and intense voter engagement seen across the country in this election. The AP reported that hundreds of thousands of ballots remain to be processed in Arizona, highlighting the challenges election officials face in ensuring accuracy under tight deadlines.
Meanwhile, candidates have continued to urge their supporters to assist with ballot curing, ensuring all eligible votes are counted. Kari Lake, who trails Gallego in Arizona, encouraged her supporters to get involved, posting on social media, “The most important thing you can be doing for the next few days is helping cure these ballots and make sure every vote counts in Arizona.”
These unresolved races in Nevada and Arizona remain critical for the Senate landscape. As officials work to finalize results, all eyes are on the western states to see if Democrats can maintain their narrow leads or if Republicans will further expand their Senate majority.
