Greetings from the National Review cruise, where Gloat-a-Thon 2014 is in full effect.

This morning the Associated Press and NBC News have called the Alaska Senate race for Republican Dan Sullivan, giving the GOP a 53rd Senate seat. But Senator Mark Begich has not conceded.

The AP reported, “it became evident Tuesday when the state began counting about 20,000 absentee and questioned ballots that Begich could not overcome his opponent.” With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Sullivan leads by 7,911 votes, about 3 percentage points.

According to the state’s Division of Elections, November 14 is the deadline to receive absentee-by-mail ballots postmarked within the United States; on that date they will update their numbers with those ballots. November 19 is the deadline to receive absentee-by-mail ballots postmarked outside the United States.

(As of 2012, 22,438 active-duty military personnel lived in Alaska.)

The state aims to have its election certified by November 28.