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Primaries in Alaska, 2022
| Top-four primaries, 2022 |
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| Primary Date |
| August 16, 2022 |
| Federal elections |
| Top-four primaries for U.S. House |
| State party |
| State political party revenue |
This page focuses on the top-four primaries that took place in Alaska on August 16, 2022.
Alaska uses a top-four primary for congressional and state-level offices. Under Alaska's top-four primary system, all candidates for a given office run in a single primary election. The top four vote-getters, regardless of partisan affiliation, then advance to the general election.[1][2]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
The 2022 U.S. Senate elections in Alaska took place on November 8, 2022. Voters elected one candidate to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Primary candidates
- Lisa Murkowski (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
- Edgar Blatchford (Democratic Party)
- Patricia Chesbro (Democratic Party) ✔
- David Darden (Independent)
- Dustin Darden (Alaskan Independence Party)
- Shoshana Gungurstein (Independent)
- Sid Hill (Independent)
- Jeremy Keller (Independent)
- Buzz Kelley (Republican Party) ✔
- Huhnkie Lee (Independent)
- Samuel Merrill (Republican Party)
- Pat Nolin (Republican Party)
- John Schiess (Republican Party)
- Kendall Shorkey (Republican Party)
- Karl Speights (Republican Party)
- Joe Stephens (Alaskan Independence Party)
- Ivan Taylor (Democratic Party)
- Sean Thorne (Libertarian Party)
- Kelly Tshibaka (Republican Party) ✔
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
U.S. House
The U.S. House of Representatives election in Alaska were to take place on November 8, 2022. Voters elected one candidate to serve in the U.S. House from the state's one at-large U.S. House district.
To see a full list of candidates in the primary in each district, click "Show more" below.---
At-large District
Primary candidates
- Mary Peltola (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔
- Jay Armstrong (Republican Party)
- Nicholas Begich (Republican Party) ✔
- Gregg Brelsford (Independent)
- Chris Bye (Libertarian Party)
- Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)
- Ted Heintz (Independent)
- David Hughes (Independent)
- Davis LeBlanc Jr. (Republican Party)
- Robert Lyons (Republican Party)
- Sherry Mettler (Independent)
- J.R. Myers (Libertarian Party)
- Robert Ornelas (American Independent Party)
- Sarah Palin (Republican Party) ✔
- Silvio Pellegrini (Independent)
- Andrew Phelps (Independent)
- Randy Purham (Republican Party)
- Brad Snowden (Republican Party)
- Sherry Strizak (Independent)
- Tara Sweeney (Republican Party) ✔
- Denise Williams (Republican Party)
- Tremayne Wilson (Independent)
Did not make the ballot:
- Don Young (Incumbent)
- John B. Coghill
- Christopher Constant
- Tyler Cropley
- Shannon Evans
- Al Gross
- William Hibler
- Jeff Lowenfels
- Mikel Melander
- Mike Milligan
- Julio Perez
- Josh Revak
- Adam Wool
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
State elections
State Senate
- See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2022
Alaska State Senate elections, 2022 |
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House of Representatives
State executive offices
Two state executive offices were up for election in Alaska in 2022:
To see a full list of candidates in the primaries, click "Show more" below.Governor
Primary candidates- Mike Dunleavy (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
- Les Gara (Democratic Party) ✔
- David Haeg (Republican Party)
- John Howe (Alaskan Independence Party)
- Christopher Kurka (Republican Party)
- William Nemec II (Independent)
- Charlie Pierce (Republican Party) ✔
- William Toien (Libertarian Party)
- Bruce Walden (Republican Party)
- Bill Walker (Independent) ✔
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyLieutenant Governor
Primary candidates- S. Waynette Coleman (Republican Party)
- Jessica Cook (Democratic Party) ✔
- Nancy Dahlstrom (Republican Party) ✔
- Heidi Drygas (Independent) ✔
- Edie Grunwald (Republican Party) ✔
- Paul Hueper (Republican Party)
- Tanya Lange (Republican Party)
- Ronnie Ostrem (Independent)
- Shirley Rainbolt (Libertarian Party)
- Shellie Wyatt (Alaskan Independence Party)
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains information about the primary election competitiveness of election in Alaska. For more information about this data, click here.
U.S. Senate competitiveness
U.S. House competitiveness
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Alaska in 2022. Information below was calculated on August 11, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
Twenty-two candidates filed to run in Alaska's At-Large U.S. House district, a decade-high. The candidates who filed included nine Republicans, one Democrat, nine independents, and three third-party candidates. The 22 candidates who ran this year were 16 more than the six candidates who ran in 2020 and 15 more than the seven who ran in 2018.
Because it only had one U.S. House seat, Alaska did not need to redistrict after the 2020 census. Alaska’s At-Large seat was open for the first time since 1970. Incumbent Rep. Don Young (R), who represented the district for 49 years, passed away in March. A special election to replace Young took place on August 16, concurrently with the regular election primary.
This was the first regular election primary to take place using Alaska’s top-four primary system. Under this system, primary candidates run in a single primary election, regardless of the candidate's party affiliation. The four candidates that receive the most votes advance to the general election. In the general election, voters use ranked-choice voting to select the winner.
State executive competitiveness
State legislative competitiveness
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Alaska in 2022. Information below was calculated on Aug. 11, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
There was one contested state legislative primary in Alaska in 2022, fewer than in previous election cycles. This decrease came after the state began using a new top-four primary system, which voters approved in 2020.
Under the top-four primary system, every candidate appears on the same ballot and the top-four finishers advance to the general election. As a result, at least five candidates must run to create a contested primary.
In 2022, the one contested primary represented 2% of all possible primaries, down from 31% in 2020.
Overall, 147 candidates filed to run in the state's top-four primaries: 39 Democrats, 81 Republicans, and 27 minor party or independent candidates. Every candidate who filed advanced to the general election apart from the one candidate who lost in the one contested primary.
There were fewer than four candidates on the ballot in 52, or 88%, of districts.
Before 2022, Alaska had partisan primaries where members of the same party would compete against each other for a place on the general election ballot. Under this system, if more than one candidate from the same party filed, there would be a contested primary.
Context of the 2022 elections
Alaska Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | I | I | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | I | I | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | S | S | S |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
State party overview
Democratic Party of Alaska
- See also: Democratic Party of Alaska
Republican Party of Alaska
- See also: Republican Party of Alaska
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws.
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following map displays total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates.
Voter information
How the primary works
Alaska uses a top-four primary for congressional and state-level offices. Under Alaska's top-four primary system, all candidates for a given office run in a single primary election. The top four vote-getters, regardless of partisan affiliation, then advance to the general election.[3][4]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Alaska, polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time. Alaska is divided between the Alaska time zone and the Hawaii-Aleutian time zone. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[5][6]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Alaska, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Alaska, and at least 18 years of age or within 90 days of their 18th birthday. An individual convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude may not register to vote until their voting rights have been restored. If registered to vote in another state, applicants must be willing to cancel that registration in order to vote in Alaska. To vote in Alaska, registered voters must be at least 18 years old and have been a resident of the state and election district for at least 30 days.[7]
Prospective voters can register online, with a paper form, or in person at a Division of Elections Office or a voter registration agency.[8] The deadline to register or make changes to a registration is 30 days before an election.[9]
If submitting an application form by mail, fax, or email, the applicant must provide one of the following forms of identification either with his or her application or when voting for the first time:[9]
| “ |
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” |
Automatic registration
Alaska automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they apply for a Permanent Fund Dividend, unless they opt out.[11]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Alaska has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Alaska allows same-day voter registration in presidential election years, but voters who do so can vote only for the offices of president and vice president.[12]
Residency requirements
Alaska law requires 30 days of residency in the state and election district before a person may vote.[13]
According to the Division of Elections' website, "you are considered an Alaska resident if you reside in the state and intend to remain a resident or, if you temporarily leave the state, you have intention to return (Active military members, spouses or dependents are exempt from the intent to return requirement)."[7]
Verification of citizenship
Alaska does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[14] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site My Voter Information, run by the Alaska Department of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Alaska requires voters to present non-photo identification while voting.[15][16]
The following were accepted forms of identification as of July 2024. Click here for the Alaska Division of Elections' page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
- Voter ID card
- Driver’s license
- State ID
- Other photo ID
- Passport
- Hunting or fishing license
- If you do not have the one of the identifications listed above, you may present a current utility bill or paycheck, government check or bank statement or other government issued document. These documents must have your current residence address.[16]
Early voting
Alaska permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Alaska. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by-mail.[17]
If a voter is already registered to vote, an absentee ballot application must be received by elections officials at least 10 days prior to the election. If a voter has not yet registered to vote, or needs to update voter registration information, an absentee/mail-in ballot application must be received at least 30 days before the election.[17]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states. No counties in Alaska are Pivot Counties.
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Alaska with 51.3 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 36.6 percent. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson received 5.9 percent, which was his third-best showing in a state in 2016.[18] From when it gained statehood in 1959 to 2017, Alaska voted Republican in 14 out of 15 presidential elections. The only time it voted Democratic was in 1964 when President Lyndon Johnson (D) defeated Senator Barry Goldwater (R) with 61.1 percent of the national vote.[19] From 1960 to 2016, Alaska voted for the winning presidential candidate in 60 percent of presidential elections.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Alaska. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[20][21]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 13 out of 40 state House districts in Alaska with an average margin of victory of 20.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 13 out of 40 state House districts in Alaska with an average margin of victory of 17.3 points. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 27 out of 40 state House districts in Alaska with an average margin of victory of 27.5 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 27 out of 40 state House districts in Alaska with an average margin of victory of 27.4 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 43.1% | 53.0% | R+9.9 | 40.2% | 49.5% | R+9.4 | D |
| 2 | 35.1% | 61.6% | R+26.5 | 29.9% | 59.9% | R+30.1 | R |
| 3 | 21.9% | 74.9% | R+53 | 16.8% | 73.1% | R+56.2 | R |
| 4 | 48.1% | 47.0% | D+1.1 | 45.4% | 44.3% | D+1.1 | D |
| 5 | 42.0% | 53.7% | R+11.7 | 41.7% | 48.1% | R+6.4 | D |
| 6 | 34.6% | 61.3% | R+26.6 | 30.9% | 59.9% | R+29 | R |
| 7 | 22.6% | 74.3% | R+51.7 | 18.7% | 73.2% | R+54.6 | R |
| 8 | 21.5% | 75.3% | R+53.8 | 15.4% | 77.3% | R+61.9 | R |
| 9 | 28.0% | 68.3% | R+40.3 | 21.2% | 69.8% | R+48.7 | R |
| 10 | 26.2% | 70.1% | R+43.9 | 20.5% | 70.9% | R+50.4 | R |
| 11 | 25.9% | 70.8% | R+44.8 | 22.8% | 68.6% | R+45.7 | R |
| 12 | 25.3% | 71.9% | R+46.6 | 20.8% | 71.2% | R+50.4 | R |
| 13 | 30.3% | 66.6% | R+36.2 | 26.6% | 63.5% | R+36.9 | R |
| 14 | 30.5% | 67.0% | R+36.5 | 30.4% | 59.5% | R+29.2 | R |
| 15 | 42.6% | 54.5% | R+11.9 | 37.8% | 52.0% | R+14.3 | R |
| 16 | 47.7% | 49.3% | R+1.6 | 45.7% | 44.4% | D+1.4 | D |
| 17 | 51.3% | 44.9% | D+6.4 | 50.1% | 39.8% | D+10.3 | D |
| 18 | 56.4% | 40.4% | D+16 | 54.2% | 37.2% | D+17.1 | D |
| 19 | 62.8% | 34.0% | D+28.9 | 56.8% | 34.8% | D+22.1 | D |
| 20 | 61.9% | 34.5% | D+27.4 | 59.9% | 31.5% | D+28.4 | D |
| 21 | 50.2% | 46.9% | D+3.3 | 50.1% | 41.2% | D+8.9 | D |
| 22 | 39.1% | 57.7% | R+18.6 | 40.3% | 51.7% | R+11.4 | I |
| 23 | 44.0% | 53.0% | R+9 | 42.8% | 47.9% | R+5.1 | D |
| 24 | 37.7% | 59.9% | R+22.2 | 39.6% | 52.0% | R+12.4 | R |
| 25 | 43.2% | 54.0% | R+10.8 | 42.6% | 48.1% | R+5.4 | R |
| 26 | 38.1% | 59.3% | R+21.2 | 39.0% | 52.5% | R+13.5 | R |
| 27 | 43.6% | 53.3% | R+9.7 | 43.7% | 47.8% | R+4.1 | R |
| 28 | 41.5% | 55.9% | R+14.4 | 42.8% | 48.8% | R+6 | R |
| 29 | 26.2% | 70.4% | R+44.2 | 23.0% | 69.2% | R+46.3 | R |
| 30 | 24.3% | 72.8% | R+48.5 | 20.8% | 70.7% | R+49.9 | R |
| 31 | 37.5% | 58.8% | R+21.2 | 34.8% | 56.3% | R+21.5 | R |
| 32 | 41.6% | 54.9% | R+13.4 | 37.1% | 51.6% | R+14.5 | R |
| 33 | 63.2% | 31.9% | D+31.3 | 61.9% | 28.2% | D+33.7 | D |
| 34 | 50.5% | 45.7% | D+4.8 | 46.1% | 43.1% | D+3 | D |
| 35 | 51.0% | 44.7% | D+6.4 | 42.7% | 46.6% | R+4 | D |
| 36 | 41.0% | 54.4% | R+13.5 | 33.5% | 55.3% | R+21.8 | I |
| 37 | 55.8% | 40.6% | D+15.2 | 49.4% | 39.5% | D+9.9 | D |
| 38 | 72.1% | 23.4% | D+48.7 | 57.7% | 23.9% | D+33.8 | D |
| 39 | 69.1% | 26.1% | D+42.9 | 59.7% | 26.7% | D+33.1 | D |
| 40 | 64.8% | 31.8% | D+33.1 | 54.1% | 31.8% | D+22.3 | D |
| Total | 41.2% | 55.3% | R+14.1 | 37.6% | 52.8% | R+15.2 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ NCSL, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "August 18, 2020 Primary Election Information," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ NCSL, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "August 18, 2020 Primary Election Information," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Polling Place Hours," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ Find Law, "Alaska Statutes Title 15. Elections 15.15.320. Voters in line when polls close," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Alaska Division of Elections, "Who Can Register And Who Can Vote?" accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Register to Vote or Update Your Voter Registration," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Alaska Division of Elections, "State of Alaska Voter Registration Application," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Alaska Department of Revenue, “Automatic voter registration,” accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Presidential Elections," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ Alaska Department of Revenue, “Automatic voter registration,” accessed March 1, 2023
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Alaska State Legislature, "Alaska Statutes 2018 Sec. 15.15.225 Voter identification at polls," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Alaska Division of Elections, "Voting at the Polling Place Election Day," accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Alaska Division of Elections, “Absentee and Early Voting,” accessed July 15, 2024
- ↑ Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, "2016 Presidential General Election Data - National," accessed May 31, 2017
- ↑ 270towin.com, "Historical Presidential Elections," accessed May 31, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
