Alaska primary: Lisa Murkowski, Sarah Palin, other top candidates advance in new ranked-choice system
Sen. Lisa Murkowsi (R-Alaska) will appear on the November ballot after advancing in Tuesday's primary — but so will her Republican primary rival, Kelly Tshibaka, and two other candidates, under Alaska's new voter-approved ranked-choice system. Under the new voting process, the top four vote-getters compete in the general election, regardless of party affiliation.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R), Democrat Les Gara, and independent candidate Bill Walker all advanced to the general election for governor, along with a fourth Republican candidate, likely either Charlie Pierce or state Rep. Christopher Kurka.
Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R), Republican businessman Nick Begich, and Democratic former state lawmaker Mary Peltola all advanced to the general election for Alaska's lone House seat, with the fourth slot to be determined. Palin, Begich, and Peltola are also vying to represent Alaska until January in a special election prompted by the death of Rep. Don Young (R) in March.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
With about half of the ballots counted, Peltola is ahead of Palin and Begich in the special election by a handful of percentage points. If that holds with all the votes in, "either Begich or Palin would have to rely on second-place votes in order to overtake Peltola in the ranked choice tabulation," the Anchorage Daily News explains. Begich said he picked Palin as his second choice, followed by Donald Duck Jr. Palin said she voted only for herself, leaving the other slots blank. "I do not believe in this system," she said. "It should not be embraced by enthusiastic participation when we know it's not right."
The results of Tuesday's special election aren't expected until Sept. 2.
Palin, trying for a political comeback, and Tshibaka were endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Begich, the nephew of former Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), is backed by the state's Republican establishment and the parents of Palin's ex-husband, Todd.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Film reviews: ‘Marty Supreme’ and ‘Is This Thing On?’Feature A born grifter chases his table tennis dreams and a dad turns to stand-up to fight off heartbreak
-
Political cartoons for December 14Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include a new White House flag, Venezuela negotiations, and more
-
Heavenly spectacle in the wilds of CanadaThe Week Recommends ‘Mind-bending’ outpost for spotting animals – and the northern lights
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
$1M ‘Trump Gold Card’ goes live amid travel rule furorSpeed Read The new gold card visa offers an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for $1 million
-
US seizes oil tanker off VenezuelaSpeed Read The seizure was a significant escalation in the pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign
