Alaska voters will be narrowing down the pool of candidates for the highly sought-after U.S. House seat from twelve to four in the upcoming primary. All candidates run on the same primary ballot regardless of party affiliation, with the top four candidates advancing to the general election. The seat had been held by Republicans for decades until Rep. Don Young’s death in 2022. Among the candidates are prominent Republicans Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and Nick Begich, as well as well-known Democrat Rep. Mary Peltola.
Dahlstrom has received support from influential Republicans like former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, while Begich has endorsements from members of the House Freedom Caucus. Peltola, a former state lawmaker, won the seat in a special election in 2022 against contenders like Sarah Palin and Nick Begich. In the August primary that year, Peltola won 37% of the vote, followed by Palin at 30% and Begich at 26%.
In one state Senate district, Republican incumbent Kelly Merrick is running as a pragmatist willing to work across the aisle, facing a challenge from fellow Republican Jared Goecker. Several other candidates are also running for the open seat in the state House, including Republicans Ken McCarty and Sharon Jackson, and Democrat Lee Hammermeister. The district includes Eagle River and Chugiak, just north of Anchorage.
On Tuesday, voters will participate in the primary election, with the results expected to play a significant role in shaping the dynamics of the upcoming general election. With every candidate running on the same ballot, the top four contenders will move on to the next phase. Turnout and advance votes have been noteworthy, with a large number of absentee ballots expected to be counted following the election. The AP will provide ongoing coverage of the election and election results as they become available.
