Democrat Mary Peltola beats Sarah Palin in Alaska special election


In a major upset, Democrat Mary Peltola defeated Republican Sarah Palin in August's special election for the U.S. House seat in Alaska, according to final results released Wednesday.
Alaska is now using a ranked-choice voting system, and while the election was held on Aug. 16, the second-choice counts weren't made until Wednesday. Peltola held a 9-point lead over Palin, the former governor of Alaska and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, in first-preference votes. She won the second round with 52 percent of the vote compared to Palin's 49 percent, Axios reports.
Peltola is now the first Native Alaskan elected to Congress, and the first Democrat to hold Alaska's lone House seat in nearly 50 years. Republican Don Young was first elected to the House in 1973 and remained in Congress until his death in March at age 88.
Subscribe to 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.
"I look forward to continuing Don Young's legacy of bipartisanship, serving all Alaskans and building support for Alaska's interests in D.C.," Peltola said in a statement. "We built a great deal of momentum in a short time. ... I plan to continue introducing myself to Alaskans and working to earn their trust."
This election determined who will finish out Young's term, which ends Jan. 3. Peltola, Palin, Republican Nick Begich, and libertarian Chris Bye are all in the running for the general election in November.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 12, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - drinking games, tiny hands, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 invigoratingly funny cartoons about healing the economy
Cartoons Artists take on surgical precision, going under the knife, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Adjapsandali: Georgian-style ratatouille recipe
The Week Recommends Twist on the authentic recipe offers bursts of garlic and spices
By The Week UK Published
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court backs wrongly deported migrant
Speed Read The Trump administration must 'facilitate' the return of wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador, Supreme Court says
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Two judges bar war-powers deportations
Speed Read The Trump administration was blocked from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport more alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses some tariffs but ramps up China tax
Speed Read The president suspended most 'reciprocal' tariffs for 90 days and raised his tariffs for China to 125%
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Could Trump's tariff war be his undoing with the GOP?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The catastrophic effects of the president's 'Liberation Day' tariffs might create a serious wedge between him and the rest of the Republican party
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine nabs first Chinese troops in Russia war
Speed Read Ukraine claims to have f two Chinese men fighting for Russia
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
IRS chief resigning after ICE deal on taxpayer data
Speed Read Several IRS officials are stepping down after the tax agency is forced to share protected taxpayer records to further Trump's deportation drive
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Musk and Navarro feud as Trump's trade war escalates
Speed Read The spat between DOGE chief Elon Musk and Trump's top trade adviser Peter Navarro suggests divisions within the president's MAGA coalition
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published