Sarah Palin, a Republican seeking the only U.S. House of Representatives seat in Alaska, speaks during a forum for candidates, May 12, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska.
Mark Thiessen / AP
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Sarah Palin, a Republican seeking the only U.S. House of Representatives seat in Alaska, speaks during a forum for candidates, May 12, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska.
Mark Thiessen / AP
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Republican Nick Begich and independent Al Gross advanced to the special election in August for the state’s only U.S. House of Representatives seat.
Palin and Begich, both Republicans, and Gross, an orthopedic surgeon, were among 48 candidates in last Saturday’s special preliminary for the seat, which was vacated after the March death of Republican Representative Don Young. Young held the chair for 49 years.
The four who received the highest number of votes in the special preliminary stage advance to a special election, which takes place on August 16, in which ranked selection voting will be used. The winner of that race will serve the remainder of Young’s term, which ends in January.
State elections officials announced the results of the additional ballots on Wednesday, the first day since the special primaries got underway. Additional numbers are scheduled for Friday and for next Tuesday.
Nick Begich, a Republican seeking the only U.S. House of Representatives seat in Alaska, speaks during a forum for candidates, on May 12, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska.
Mark Thiessen / AP
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Nick Begich, a Republican seeking the only U.S. House of Representatives seat in Alaska, speaks during a forum for candidates, on May 12, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska.
Mark Thiessen / AP
With 132,730 votes counted, Palin took 28.3%, followed by Begich with 19.3% and Gross with 12.8%. Democrat Mary Peltola has 8.7% and Republican Tara Sweeney, 5.5%.
The election was unusual in that it was conducted primarily by post. It is also the first election under the voter-approved system in 2020, ending party primaries and voting ratings institutes for general elections.
The election comes as scheduled after an intense legal battle over ballot access issues, with the state defending itself against accusations that the way the election was held was largely via the street. The post office discriminated against visually impaired voters.
Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, has enjoyed considerable name recognition in a field that includes current and former state legislators and an Arctic city council member. named Santa Claus. Many candidates are a relative unknown.
Begich comes from a family of prominent Democrats, including uncles Mark Begich and Tom Begich, both of whom have held elected office. Gross ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in 2020 with the approval of state Democrats. The Alaska Democratic leaders in this race urged voters to choose a Democrat.
Al Gross, left, an independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in Alaska, stands next to his wife, Monica Gross, on June 11, 2022, in Juneau, Alaska.
Becky Bohrer / AP
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Al Gross, left, an independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in Alaska, stands next to his wife, Monica Gross, on June 11, 2022, in Juneau, Alaska.
Becky Bohrer / AP
Peltola, one of six Democrats on the ballot, is a former state congressman. Sweeney served as Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs in the US Department of the Interior during the Trump administration.
Palin released a statement on election night, saying she’s grateful to her supporters “who voted to make Alaska great again!”
She said she looks forward to the special election so she can “highlight our idea of fixing this country by responsibly developing God-given natural resources and restore respect for individual liberties and the Constitution.”
Palin, his first bid for elected office since resigning as midterm governor in 2009, has been endorsed by a number of national figures, including former President Donald Trump. . Palin was an early supporter of Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, and he participated in a phone call with her the week before the election.
A general election in August and November will decide who serves a two-year House term that begins in January. Palin, Begich and Gross are running in that race.
An email seeking comment on the special primaries was sent to Begich’s campaign director on Wednesday.
Begich’s grandfather, US Democrat Representative Nick Begich, had already had a House seat ahead of Young. In 1972, eldest brother Begich was fighting Young when Begich’s plane disappeared on a flight from Anchorage to Juneau. Begich has been re-elected.
He was later declared dead and Young in 1973 won a special election for the seat. Young held the chair until his death at the age of 88.
The younger Begich was also related to Young. He is the co-chair of Young’s re-election campaign in 2020.
He started running for the House seat last fall and sees himself as someone who can bring new energy to the role. He was endorsed by some conservatives and the Alaska Republican Party.
Begich, during a campaign forum with three other Republican candidates last month, admitted it might surprise people that Begich is a Republican. He said he was raised by “conservative” grandparents in Florida.
Begich said he wanted to make a “business case” for the state, including the need to develop the state’s vast natural resources.
Gross was romantically linked to several Democrats earlier this year after an interview in which he did not commit to a secret ballot with Democrats if elected. Then he said he would.
Gross’s campaign has said that Gross has no plans to seek approval from Democrats or Republicans.
Gross noted that the largest block of registered voters in Alaska identifies as independents and said that Alaska needs a “new leader that represents all Alaskans, not just parts of Alaska. And I believe it.” that I am that person.”
During his 2020 run, Gross sought to show off his Alaskan bravery, especially with an ad that said he “killed a grizzly bear in self-defense after it snuck up on people”. His campaign also ran a cute ad referring to Gross as the “bear doctor”.
This time, Gross played it differently. He has a campaign leadership team that includes Republicans, independents and Democrats, including former Governor Tony Knowles.
