United States House of Representatives special election in Alaska, 2022

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2022 U.S. House elections in Alaska
Seal of Alaska.png

Primary elections:
Special U.S. House primary (June 11)
Regular U.S. House primary (Aug. 16)

General elections:
Special U.S. House general election (Aug. 16)
Regular U.S. House general election (Nov. 8)

Filing deadlines:
Special election: April 1
Regular election: June 1


Mary Peltola (D) won the special election to fill Alaska's At-Large Congressional District in the U.S. House on August 16, 2022.[2] Sarah Palin (R) and Nicholas Begich III (R) also ran. Al Gross (I) advanced from the June 11 top-four primary, but he withdrew from the race on June 20.[3]

This election used ranked-choice voting (RCV). In the final round of tabulation, Peltola had 51.5% of the vote to Palin's 48.5%.

Begich was eliminated in the first round of RCV tabulation as the third-place candidate with 53,810 votes; 27,053 of those votes were transferred to Palin, as those voters ranked her as their next choice, and 15,467 votes were transferred to Peltola. The remainder of those ballots were either exhausted (11,243), including those on which voters hadn't ranked another candidate who was still in the running after Begich, or overvotes (47), meaning voters assigned the same ranking to different candidates.[4]

See the official RCV report from the Alaska Division of Elections below. Click here to learn more about Alaska's voting system, which voters approved via ballot measure in 2020.

Former Rep. Don Young (R) died on March 18, 2022.[5] Young served since 1973 after winning a special election to succeed Democratic Rep. Nick Begich Sr.—Begich III's grandfather.[6]

Peltola served in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009 and was interim executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission as of the special election.[7] Peltola said she was a "[p]roven legislative leader and coalition builder." She emphasized her background in fishing and made marine resource management a key campaign issue. Peltola also highlighted that she is an Alaska Native woman and said, "Our elected officials have not been representative of our state."[8]

Begich founded a technology development company and co-founded a company that invests in startups. He co-chaired the Alaska Republican Party Finance Committee and Young's 2020 re-election campaign. Begich entered the regular U.S. House primary election before Young's death.[9][10] Begich campaigned on his business background, saying he could "make the business case for Alaska effectively down in D.C."

Palin served as governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009 and was John McCain's (R) vice presidential running mate in 2008.[11] Palin campaigned on her record as governor, which she said included taking "meaningful steps toward energy independence, passing bipartisan ethics reform, and facilitating the biggest private sector infrastructure project in U.S. history." Palin said after Young's death, "As I’ve watched the far left destroy the country, I knew I had to step up and join the fight."[12]

Click here for more on candidates' backgrounds and key messages.

The Alaska Republican Party and primary candidate John Coghill (R) endorsed Begich.[13][14] Former President Donald Trump (R) backed Palin.[15] Five primary candidates endorsed Peltola: independents Gross[16] and Santa Claus and Democrats Christopher Constant, Mike Milligan, and Emil Notti.[3][17][18]

The special election was one of two elections, alongside the regularly scheduled election, for Alaska's at-large House district in 2022. Here is a timeline for each primary and general election in 2022:

June 11, 2022:

Aug. 16, 2022:

Nov. 8, 2022:

As of October 3, 2025, 17 special elections have been called during the 117th Congress. From the 113th Congress to the 116th Congress, 50 special elections were held. For more data on historical congressional special elections, click here.

Election news

This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election.

Candidates and election results

Note: The state did not release vote totals for individual write-in candidates. Certified write-in candidates are listed below without vote totals.

General election

General election for U.S. House Alaska At-large District

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Mary Peltola in round 2 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.


Total votes: 188,582
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Nonpartisan primary election

Special nonpartisan primary for U.S. House Alaska At-large District

The following candidates ran in the special primary for U.S. House Alaska At-large District on June 11, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin (R)
 
27.0
 
43,601
Image of Nicholas Begich
Nicholas Begich (R)
 
19.1
 
30,861
Image of Al Gross
Al Gross (Independent)
 
12.6
 
20,392
Image of Mary Peltola
Mary Peltola (D)
 
10.1
 
16,265
Image of Tara Sweeney
Tara Sweeney (R)
 
5.9
 
9,560
Image of Santa Claus
Santa Claus (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
4.7
 
7,625
Image of Christopher Constant
Christopher Constant (D)
 
3.9
 
6,224
Image of Jeff Lowenfels
Jeff Lowenfels (Independent)
 
3.7
 
5,994
Image of John B. Coghill
John B. Coghill (R)
 
2.4
 
3,842
Image of Josh Revak
Josh Revak (R)
 
2.3
 
3,785
Andrew Halcro (Independent)
 
1.9
 
3,013
Image of Adam Wool
Adam Wool (D)
 
1.7
 
2,730
Emil Notti (D)
 
1.1
 
1,777
Image of Chris Bye
Chris Bye (L) Candidate Connection
 
0.6
 
1,049
Mike Milligan (D)
 
0.4
 
608
Image of John Howe
John Howe (Alaskan Independence Party)
 
0.2
 
380
Laurel Foster (Independent)
 
0.2
 
338
Image of Stephen Wright
Stephen Wright (R)
 
0.2
 
332
Jay Armstrong (R)
 
0.2
 
286
Image of J.R. Myers
J.R. Myers (L) Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
285
Image of Gregg Brelsford
Gregg Brelsford (Independent)
 
0.2
 
284
Ernest Thomas (D)
 
0.1
 
199
Image of Robert Lyons
Robert Lyons (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
197
Otto Florschutz (R)
 
0.1
 
193
Maxwell Sumner (R)
 
0.1
 
133
Richard Trotter (R)
 
0.1
 
121
Anne McCabe (Independent)
 
0.1
 
118
John Callahan (R)
 
0.1
 
114
Image of Arlene Carle
Arlene Carle (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
107
Tim Beck (Independent)
 
0.1
 
96
Thomas Gibbons (R)
 
0.1
 
94
Sherry Mettler (Independent)
 
0.1
 
92
Image of Lady Donna Dutchess
Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
87
Image of Robert Ornelas
Robert Ornelas (American Independent Party)
 
0.1
 
83
Ted Heintz (L) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
70
Silvio Pellegrini (Independent)
 
0.0
 
70
Karyn Griffin (Independent)
 
0.0
 
67
David Hughes (Independent)
 
0.0
 
54
Don Knight (Independent)
 
0.0
 
46
Jo Woodward (R)
 
0.0
 
44
Jason Williams (Independent)
 
0.0
 
37
Robert Brown (Independent)
 
0.0
 
36
Dennis Aguayo (Independent)
 
0.0
 
31
Image of William Hibler
William Hibler (Independent)
 
0.0
 
25
Bradley Welter (R)
 
0.0
 
24
David Thistle (Independent)
 
0.0
 
23
Brian Beal (Independent)
 
0.0
 
19
Mikel Melander (R)
 
0.0
 
17

Total votes: 161,428
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Official RCV results report

The following official RCV report is from the Alaska Division of Elections.[31]

Sample ballot

The following sample ballot is from the Alaska Division of Elections.[32]

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Image of Mary Peltola

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Biography:  Peltola attended the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Alaska. Peltola founded the lobbying firm Sattler Strategies and was manager of community development & sustainability at the mine Donlin Gold after her time in the state legislature. As of the special election, Peltola was interim executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.



Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.


Peltola said she was the most qualified candidate in the race, referring to her time in the state legislature, her work with the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, and time she'd spent in different parts of the state. Peltola said she was a "[p]roven legislative leader and coalition builder" and spent "eight years as Chair of the bipartisan 'Bush' Caucus of rural legislators."


Peltola said, "One of the reasons I am most proud to be a candidate for Alaska’s Congressional seat is to highlight the issue of low ocean productivity and the importance of pivoting in the management of marine resources." 


Peltola emphasized that she is an Alaska Native woman and said that Alaska Native people make up 20% of the state's population.


Show sources

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Alaska At-large District in 2022.

Image of Nicholas Begich

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Begich received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University and an M.B.A. from Indiana University Bloomington. Begich founded FarShore Partners, a technology development company, and co-founded Dashfire, which invests in startups. Begich completed a fellowship with the Club for Growth. He co-chaired the state GOP's Finance Committee and Rep. Don Young's 2020 re-election campaign.



Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.


Begich said, "I'm a lifelong businessman, not a politician. I started, operated, and invested in businesses across our nation. I know America's strength and prosperity comes from free enterprise, limited government, and hard work."


Begich discussed Alaska's natural resources and tourism, saying he could "make the business case for Alaska effectively down in D.C." He emphasized the theme of new leadership.


Begich said, "We have one candidate who makes her living on celebrity videos, and we have another candidate who’s made a living creating jobs. ... This is a race between Sarah Palin and Nick Begich."


Show sources

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Alaska At-large District in 2022.

Image of Sarah Palin

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

  • Governor of Alaska (2006-2009)
  • Mayor of Wasilla (1996-2002)
  • Wasilla City Council (1992-1996)

Biography:  Palin received a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho. Palin worked as a sports reporter for KTUU-TV and the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. Former Gov. Frank Murkowski (R) appointed Palin to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in 2003. Palin was the first female governor of Alaska. She was John McCain's vice presidential running mate in 2008. Palin published several books and starred in a reality TV show called Sarah Palin's Alaska.



Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.


Palin's campaign website said that, as governor, she took "meaningful steps toward energy independence, passing bipartisan ethics reform, and facilitating the biggest private sector infrastructure project in U.S. history. And while revitalizing public school funding and ensuring the state met its responsibilities to seniors and Alaska Native populations, Palin also beat the political ‘good ol’ boys club’ at their own game."


Palin said she would focus on "fixing this country by responsibly developing Alaska’s God-given natural resources, getting runaway government spending under control, protecting human life, protecting the right to keep and bear arms, and restoring respect for individual liberty and the Constitution."


Palin highlighted former President Donald Trump's endorsement.


Show sources

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Alaska At-large District in 2022.

Image of Chris Bye

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Libertarian Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "I am Chris Bye. I am a husband, father of 4 growing young adults, Combat Veteran, community volunteer, fishing guide, and typical Alaskan. I am running because both primary political parties have run this nation into the ground. They both have forsaken Freedom and Liberty by transitioning away from governance and towards activism and corporate protectionism. Both parties are to blame for the $30.5T national debt, 20-plus years of war, the nefarious Patriot Act (now renamed USA Freedom Act), countless mandates, and ever-growing regulations preventing growth and opportunities. I can no longer sit on the sideline and settle for the lesser of two evils. I firmly believe typical Alaskans, statewide, can make better decisions than professional and groomed politicians."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Nobody cares more for Alaska than Alaskans. Every two to four years Congressional and Presidential turmoil bent on activism rather than governance has a direct and detrimental effect here in Alaska where natural resource development is our foundational economic driver. Natural resource development sustains our education system, our medical system, some of our roads, and other pieces of our infrastructure. Clearly, there is a balance but the draconian one size fits all regulations often driven by activists, rather than the local citizenry, are oppressive and smothering our state’s potential. DC politicians driven by power and re-election desires fail to meet the needs of Alaskans statewide. Alaskans with help from the University Syste


There are 36m acres owed to the people of Alaska still retained by the Federal Government. That land, the size of West Virginia and South Carolina combined represents opportunity for recent professionals graduating from the Alaska University System, in fact for all Alaskans and separating military service members. We have been a state since 1959 and yet we are still waiting on the turnover. Together with my first concern, Alaska can work on becoming self-sufficient with a sustainable natural resource development that is beholden to Alaskans. It will be my top goal to complete this 63-year promise. It’s Time Alaska.


Fishery management has succumbed to the lust of the commercial industry at the expense of ALL ALASKANS. Salmon is a statewide issue and what happens in the oceans has upriver effects. The North Pacific Fishing Management Council develops regulations for the waters surrounding Alaska has failed Alaskans. Their regulations notoriously favor the commercial industry which has seats on the board. Washington and Oregon even have seats on this board. However communities such as Bethel, Galena, Fort Yukon, or Chitna are not represented at all, where the subsistence harvest for Salmon is extremely important to our way of life. We must get representation on the council making it repsonsive to our needs not the industry.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Alaska At-large District in 2022.

Image of Lady Donna Dutchess

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Independent

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "I am a 'sourdough' Alaskan and I have lived in Alaska with my family since 1985, with three adult sons and two pre-teen daughters. Furthermore, I am not a politician. I am an American who has had enough of our government's negligence and aim to permeate light upon the corruption that is going on in our state and nation currently. My message to Alaskans is this: “By the Grace of the Most High God, I wish you to know I hear & empathize with Alaskan families. I hear you and have experienced the injustices by our governments, same as you. I have been speaking with Alaskan families and individuals, that have joined social justice teams, searching for a means to be heard by a government that seems tone-deaf to the plight of our people and nation. This has motivated me to run for Congress to represent you, Alaskans. In the United States of America, it is your right to select a person, qualified per the law, to represent the Alaskan People, in order to help provide meaningful solutions and crisis mitigation for the sake of our citizens. I aim to do just that, one way or another.”"


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Homelessness: How precisely are the State and municipalities supposed to solve homelessness, when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a U.S. government agency "dedicated to making sure homeowners are treated fairly" by banks and mortgage service providers, are absent-mindedly providing no real help to homeowners who file complaints with the CFPB. Foreclosures by banks with unethical lending business practices provide a never ending stream of families (men, women, children) who end up homeless. This is completely unacceptable.


Trafficking: The most vulnerable in our State and nation are often targeted for trafficking, therefore, I shall focus on the trafficking of children first. According to The National Foster Youth Institute (NFYI), over 60% of trafficked children have been involved in the Foster industry. That means over half of the children that have been or are still in foster housing are trafficked. This is completely unacceptable.


Veterans: The VA's reputation is dismal in America and veterans are marginalized, ignored, dismissed by VA employees who are going through the motions of 'aiding' veterans, but in reality, just collecting their paychecks. It appears the VA is under the 80/20 rule, where 80% of the workload is shouldered by 20% of VA staff who does actually care. Likewise, the other 80% of VA staff are coordinating the paperwork shuffle or handing veterans off to the State of Alaska (SOA), Adult Protective Service (APS). This is completely unacceptable.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Alaska At-large District in 2022.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Chris Bye (L)

Nobody cares more for Alaska than Alaskans. Every two to four years Congressional and Presidential turmoil bent on activism rather than governance has a direct and detrimental effect here in Alaska where natural resource development is our foundational economic driver. Natural resource development sustains our education system, our medical system, some of our roads, and other pieces of our infrastructure. Clearly, there is a balance but the draconian one size fits all regulations often driven by activists, rather than the local citizenry, are oppressive and smothering our state’s potential. DC politicians driven by power and re-election desires fail to meet the needs of Alaskans statewide. Alaskans with help from the University Syste

There are 36m acres owed to the people of Alaska still retained by the Federal Government. That land, the size of West Virginia and South Carolina combined represents opportunity for recent professionals graduating from the Alaska University System, in fact for all Alaskans and separating military service members. We have been a state since 1959 and yet we are still waiting on the turnover. Together with my first concern, Alaska can work on becoming self-sufficient with a sustainable natural resource development that is beholden to Alaskans. It will be my top goal to complete this 63-year promise. It’s Time Alaska.

Fishery management has succumbed to the lust of the commercial industry at the expense of ALL ALASKANS. Salmon is a statewide issue and what happens in the oceans has upriver effects. The North Pacific Fishing Management Council develops regulations for the waters surrounding Alaska has failed Alaskans. Their regulations notoriously favor the commercial industry which has seats on the board. Washington and Oregon even have seats on this board. However communities such as Bethel, Galena, Fort Yukon, or Chitna are not represented at all, where the subsistence harvest for Salmon is extremely important to our way of life. We must get representation on the council making it repsonsive to our needs not the industry.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lady_Dutchess.jpg

Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

Homelessness: How precisely are the State and municipalities supposed to solve homelessness, when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a U.S. government agency "dedicated to making sure homeowners are treated fairly" by banks and mortgage service providers, are absent-mindedly providing no real help to homeowners who file complaints with the CFPB. Foreclosures by banks with unethical lending business practices provide a never ending stream of families (men, women, children) who end up homeless. This is completely unacceptable.

Trafficking: The most vulnerable in our State and nation are often targeted for trafficking, therefore, I shall focus on the trafficking of children first. According to The National Foster Youth Institute (NFYI), over 60% of trafficked children have been involved in the Foster industry. That means over half of the children that have been or are still in foster housing are trafficked. This is completely unacceptable.

Veterans: The VA's reputation is dismal in America and veterans are marginalized, ignored, dismissed by VA employees who are going through the motions of 'aiding' veterans, but in reality, just collecting their paychecks. It appears the VA is under the 80/20 rule, where 80% of the workload is shouldered by 20% of VA staff who does actually care. Likewise, the other 80% of VA staff are coordinating the paperwork shuffle or handing veterans off to the State of Alaska (SOA), Adult Protective Service (APS). This is completely unacceptable.
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Chris Bye (L)

1) When we resound to voting for the establishment party picks, hold our noses and choose the lesser of two evils we get the disaster we call DC. Corporate bailouts, Military boondoggles, $30.5T of debt, secret courts… Both parties got us here with help from us, weak-minded voters who refused to see the historical facts. I am as guilty as the next on this.

We often see the slogan Home of the Free because of the Brave. We attribute this to Military Service Members and First Responders. I would ask that you rethink this. We are free because voters bravely vote. I do not care how you voted in the past; I care about your future vote. That vote represents freedom and future opportunity. Please vote. It’s Time Alaska. 2) Energy Policy. We have been given a false premise that America cannot have a diverse Energy Policy; it’s either Big Oil/Fossil Fuels or renewables. The truth is that we need both plus nuclear, hydrogen, and any other energy source. Diversity is the key to a sustainable and strong energy policy. Deregulation allows for increased development. Allow Alaskans to determine the pathway forward. Together with professionals being created at our trade schools, union facilities, and Universities we can bring sustainability and efficient methods of energy development to the market. It’s Time Alaska.

3) Balanced Budget. Congress will continue to enslave current and future generations without concern, that $30.5T of debt was created by both parties.
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Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

I am personally passionate about energy and environment policy. Based on my observations regarding energy sufficiency, we appear to be in a type of energy crisis in our search for clean energy. By this, I mean we appear to be unable to mitigate our energy industry effectively, while also being conscious of the environmental impacts we as consumers create. On one hand, the pressure is to maintain the status quo so that it does not impact jobs and profit. On the other hand, the pressure is to find clean ways to maintain our energy consumption without destroying the environment, while creating jobs. With the ingenuity of human innovations, it does not seem reasonable that we have not collectively come up with a viable source of clean energy, harnessing either the sun, wind, water, and/or earth power responsibly. Pollutants in our environment from irresponsible energy corporations eventually end up in our food chain. Factoring in the 'domino effect', those pollutants eventually are ingested by our families that, over time, impact our health. This is completely unacceptable. I will target and support innovating clean energy technology (that has been 'shelved' in lieu of traditional profits), undeveloped patented technology, and entrepreneurship of small energy research companies. I will target large corporations that knowingly put toxins, poisons, and carcinogenic materials into our environment.
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Chris Bye (L)

This list is long. Let's take the top four.

1) There is a long list of Warriors I have had the pleasure of serving with. Some were higher ranking and some lower Enlisted. They all had one thing in common: to serve each other regardless of the hardships and trials. While I hated being a pawn for the Republicans and Democrats, my time served at home station and deployed really pushed my desire to serve everyone.

2) My Mexican-Texan Grandfather, Theodoro Fierros. This Korean War Combat Veteran decorated twice for valor laid down the pathway that discrimination is not an excuse for not doing one's duty honorably. Grandpa rarely talked about Korea but occasionally while fishing he would tell me stories of brave Korean teenagers as young as 12 hauling ammunition and fighting alongside him and his fellow Soldiers. Being one of few non-white Soldiers, Grandpa put up with crap only to show those weak-minded individuals he would surpass their expectations continuously. Whether as an Army Boxer or an Air Force NCO training future Officers or as a mentor at Church, Grandpa served his community until the day he passed away. I'll never forget his accented voice, "Mi hijo, dos cervazas por favor".

3) Ron Paul. His book "Liberty Defined" changed the way I look at political parties. I encourage everyone to read this book. Add in Milton Friedman and Thomas Sowell, two diverse thinkers who came to the same conclusion that decisions made by a centralized government power will always turn out poorly for almost everyone. Local Control/Local Accountability

4) There was a man who lived many centuries ago and told us to love everyone. Everyone- not just the ones we agree with or the ones we liked. Love everyone including our enemies and those that hate us. He did not promise it would be easy nor always fruitful but that it was necessary. It wasn't an edict for the government but for each one of us. It wasn't a mandate, it was careful mentorship.
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Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

I look up to and follow the Most High God. Since I was not born into a specific family religion, I enjoy exercising my American religious freedom by examining the avenues of available faiths; from Judaism, Islam, Christianity, to Shamanism, Buddhism, Scientology, and more. I have witnessed for myself the religious traditions that are passed down from grandparent to parent to child. It is written in many religious scriptures that it is the Divine Spirit that brings an individual to the love, knowledge, faith, and guidance of the Supreme Being or Divine God. For my personal path in life, with the assistance of the Divine Spirit, I have made a final decision on who it is I call my God. It is the Most High God, my Father in Heaven, to whom I place my worship and faith in. For me, the Most High God is the One who is at a level like none other. I believe that only the Most High God is the Keeper of Time and Hearts. Religious freedom in America means that each citizen has the right to choose who they place, or do not place, their faith in. I believe this right should not be infringed upon. No one selects the Time of their birth, nor do they select the Time of their death, as these are universal mysteries. It is only when we exhale our last breath, do we all find out if our choice religion, revealed by our conduct and words, will withstand eternity. There was a time in my life many years ago that reaching out to the Most High God was last on my list. Currently, after so many decades of training, guiding and correction, I am finally at that point in my Path that the Most High God is first on my list. One of the lessons that made a huge impression on me was when the Most High God brought me to Matthew 7: 22 & 23. Then, I had understanding of what I was witnessing around me in America. It was the lessons of Jonah, Sodom, and Gomorrah that taught me how to Respectfully Petition the Divine Court of the Most High God to render Judgement and I agree with that judgement. So Be It.
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Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

I am a grandmother, a mother, a daughter, a granddaughter, a healer, an empath, a warrior, and a friend. My Calling is to Permeate Light into the Darkness, by which ever means avail itself to me. I am transformation manifested. I am who I am. Furthermore, I am not obligated, and ​I live as I am drawn ​by the Divine Light of the Most High God. You Will Know Me By The Fruit I Bare & the Kindness I Share. My Conscience is clear. If conflict does not come to me, I will not seek out conflict. However, if conflict comes to me, I will not be afraid either. Managing Life is all about finding appropriate ways to eliminate conflicts that come one's way. If you're always worried or frightened, there is no Joy in Living.
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Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

Empathy, Responsibility, Accountability, and Tenacity.
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Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

I call it like I see it and will pursue justice till the very end, regardless of the status quo. Some opponents will throw accusations, saying I have an 'axe to grind'. Not true. For Alaskan families and for Justice, I am 'sharpening my sword'.
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Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

Core Responsibility is to the People. Elected officials should stand their ground and be there, actively working for the people of their state and nation.
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Chris Bye (L)

John Lennon was shot in NYC on Dec 8 1980 shot by Mark Chapman. I was 6 years old. I recall the radio station and the TV stations playing Imagine, Revolution, Dear Prudence, and a litany of other John Lennon and Beatles recordings.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lady_Dutchess.jpg

Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

There are so many worldly religions out there, they promote 'their way' to God and faith. As an American, I was not raised in a specific religion or faith, and it appeared to me that there was conflict among the many religions. During my early twenties, I found myself in a situation and felt that only 'God' could help me. However, I was not sure who to pray to and which 'God' was the right one. So I prayed to the 'God of Truth'. I acknowledged that I did not know who God was, and asked for guidance in my life. After I prayed, the 'Hand of the Most High God' appeared and comforted me in a way that surpasses logical understanding. This historic moment started me on my journey toward seeking, learning, and understanding the Most High God.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Chris-Bye.PNG

Chris Bye (L)

Worked at a pizza joint at night and life-guarded during the day. Worked both for over a year before moving on to other jobs.

The waitresses, cooks, and pizzeria owner taught me a tremendous amount about treating everyone with dignity and respect. More importantly, they instilled a workplace team environment that I carried into my 20-year military career.

Life-guarding was my first step in helping folks where they were; whether it was teaching folks how to swim, dealing with fights, or dealing with local thugs. So while at night I had workplace teamwork drilled into me during the day I watched over 50 plus kids and parents at a local pool.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lady_Dutchess.jpg

Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

My very first job was working for the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, on a summer teen job camp program when I was 15. With other teenagers around Alaska, we stayed at Twin Bears Camp for the summer, and during the work week, traveled around Alaska building trails, planting trees, cleaning up camp sites and more.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lady_Dutchess.jpg

Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. There is a very powerful message to humanity both in the words themselves and what one can gleam reading between the lines of this book.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lady_Dutchess.jpg

Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

Myself as the Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho
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Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

Our God

Is an awesome God, he reigns From heaven above With wisdom, power, and love Our God is an awesome

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lady_Dutchess.jpg

Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

The U.S. House of Representatives possess the unique quality to initiate bills for raising revenue and to impeach officials.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lady_Dutchess.jpg

Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

No. As an American citizen, I used to think that it was beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics. I no longer believe that, as it appears that these experienced government officials and politicians are tone-deaf to the plight of the American citizens who are struggling daily in this country. It appears that the representatives feel so entitled to their elected positions and subsequent wealth, that they are completely ignoring the state of our nation, which is in clear distress. I used to believe our elected officials knew what they are doing. Like many Americans, I gave these experienced elected officials, via my votes, the benefit of the doubt, hoping they will do what needs to be done to set our nation on a clear, healthy, and beneficial course for our people, regardless of race, religion, education, gender, and more. Since these experienced officials have become a government clique answering only to themselves, I have decided to enter the political fray, to see what can be done to course correct our current direction, so that our people truly have the opportunity for life, liberty, health, and the pursuit of happiness.
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Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

The United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade will be to clean up government corruption, address the plight of the people who are clearly struggling due to government negligence, and establish trust internationally with foreign governments.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lady_Dutchess.jpg

Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

Agriculture; Appropriations; Armed Services; Budget; Energy; Ethics; Financial Services; Foreign Affairs; Homeland Security; Permanent Committee on Intelligence; Committee on the Climate Crisis; Committee on the Modernization of Congress; Judiciary; Natural Resources; Oversight and Government Reform; Rules;Veterans’ Affairs; Transportation and Infrastructure; Joint Committee on Taxation, and Ways and Means.
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Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

There are too many to select just one story from Alaska residents. I aim to mitigate and address homelessness as it is tied to non-judicial foreclosures; veterans who are not being taken care of by the VA; the trafficked children who are abused due to the foster industry; and the impact on our environment due to our energy issues.
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Lady Donna Dutchess (Independent)

Compromise is necessary to a point. Unfortunately, it appears that the USA has compromised so much that our nation is clearly in a vulnerable state, and therefore, is in a weakened state open to misuse by citizens and attack by foreign governments focused on subduing America.


Campaign advertisements

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Republican Party Nick Begich

July 20, 2022
July 3, 2022
May 10, 2022

Republican Party Sarah Palin

Have a link to Palin's campaign ads on YouTube? Email us.

Democratic Party Mary Peltola

May 25, 2022

View more ads here:


Debates and forums

This section includes links to debates, forums, and other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated. If you are aware of any debates or forums that should be included, please email us.

August 1 forum

On August 1, 2022, Juneau radio station KINY hosted a forum with Begich, Palin, and Peltola.[24]

Click on the links below for summaries of the event:

June 27 forum

On June 27, 2022, Begich, Palin, and Peltola participated in a candidate forum hosted by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.[27]

June 26 forum

On June 26, 2022, Begich, Palin, and Peltola participated in a candidate forum hosted by the Alaska Black Caucus.[28]

Questionnaires

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorser Democratic Party Mary Peltola Republican Party Nicholas Begich Republican Party Sarah Palin
Government officials
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R)  source    
U.S. Rep. Louis B. Gohmert Jr. (R)  source    
U.S. Rep. Ronny L. Jackson (R)  source    
State Sen. Mia Costello (R)  source    
State Sen. Roger Holland (R)  source    
State Sen. Shelley Hughes (R)  source    
State Sen. Mike Shower (R)  source    
State Rep. Ben Carpenter (R)  source    
State Rep. Mike Cronk (R)  source    
State Rep. Ron Gillham (R)  source    
State Rep. Kevin McCabe (R)  source    
State Rep. Ken McCarty (R)  source    
State Rep. Thomas McKay (R)  source    
State Rep. Glenn Prax (R)  source    
State Rep. George Rauscher (R)  source    
State House Minority Leader Cathy Tilton (R)  source    
State Rep. Sarah Vance (R)  source    
Individuals
Frmr. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson  source    
U.S. House special primary candidate Santa Claus  source    
U.S. House special primary candidate John B. Coghill  source    
U.S. House special primary candidate Christopher Constant  source    
Frmr. U.S. House candidate (2018, 2020) Alyse Galvin  source    
Frmr. Rep. Newt Gingrich  source    
Former 2022 U.S. House candidate Al Gross  source    
Frmr. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley  source    
Talk show host Sean Hannity  source    
U.S. House special primary candidate Mike Milligan  source    
U.S. House special primary candidate Emil Notti  source    
Frmr. U.S. Sec. of Energy Rick Perry  source    
Frmr. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo  source    
Frmr. President Donald Trump  source    
Organizations
Alaska AFL-CIO  source    
Alaska Outdoor Council  source    
Americans for Prosperity Action, Inc. (AFP Action)  source    
Anchorage Young Republicans  source    
Associated Builders and Contractors of Alaska  source    
Bikers for Trump  source    
Business-Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC)  source    
Democratic Party of Alaska  source    
Eagle River District 22 Republicans  source    
E-PAC  source    
Fairbanks District 35 Republicans  source    
FreedomWorks for America  source    
Homer District 6 Republicans  source    
HOTL PAC  source    
Interior District 36 Republicans  source    
Kenai Peninsula Republican Women of Alaska  source    
Mat-Su District 25 Republicans    
Mat-Su Republican Women's Club  source    
Mat-Su Young Republicans  source    
National Rifle Association  source    
National Right to Life Committee  source    
North Pole District 33 Republicans  source    
Republican Party of Alaska  source    
Republican Women of Fairbanks  source    
Sealaska  source    
The Alaska Center  source    
The Organized Village of Kwethluk  source    
The Orutsararmiut Native Council  source    
Valdez and Mat-Su District 29 Republicans  source    


Note: Gross endorsed Tara Sweeney along with Mary Peltola when he withdrew, before the state supreme court ruled that Sweeney could not advance to the general election.

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.[33] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."[34] For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.

Below we provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. Click here to read about FiveThirtyEight's criteria for including polls in its aggregation. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval.


The following poll asked respondents to rank their choices.

Alaska Survey Research RCV poll (July 2-5, 2022)
Candidate 1st round 2nd round
Begich 31% 57%
Peltola 40% 43%
Palin 29%
Poll link • Respondents: 1,201 LV[35] • MOE: +/- 2.9


General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[36]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[37][38][39]

This section was last updated July 7, 2022

Election spending

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[40] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[41] Click here to view the reporting schedule for candidates for U.S. Congress in 2022.

U.S. Congress campaign reporting schedule, 2022
Report Close of books Filing deadline
Year-end 2021 12/31/2021 1/31/2022
April quarterly 3/31/2022 4/15/2022
July quarterly 6/30/2022 7/15/2022
October quarterly 9/30/2022 10/15/2022
Pre-general 10/19/2022 10/27/2022
Post-general 11/28/2022 12/08/2022
Year-end 2022 12/31/2022 1/31/2023

​​

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Christopher Constant Democratic Party $164,197 $159,542 $4,655 As of June 30, 2022
Mike Milligan Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Emil Notti Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Mary Peltola Democratic Party $379,088 $254,299 $124,789 As of July 27, 2022
Ernest Thomas Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Adam Wool Democratic Party $16,217 $16,217 $0 As of July 15, 2022
Jay Armstrong Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Nicholas Begich Republican Party $1,326,926 $671,505 $655,421 As of July 27, 2022
John Callahan Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
John B. Coghill Republican Party $26,425 $26,425 $0 As of August 13, 2022
Otto Florschutz Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Thomas Gibbons Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Robert Lyons Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Mikel Melander Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Sarah Palin Republican Party $1,073,839 $966,291 $107,548 As of July 27, 2022
Josh Revak Republican Party $121,666 $121,576 $90 As of June 30, 2022
Maxwell Sumner Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Tara Sweeney Republican Party $295,152 $249,386 $45,766 As of July 27, 2022
Richard Trotter Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Bradley Welter Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Jo Woodward Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Stephen Wright Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
John Howe Alaskan Independence Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Robert Ornelas American Independent Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Chris Bye Libertarian Party $5,276 $2,055 $3,512 As of July 27, 2022
Ted Heintz Libertarian Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
J.R. Myers Libertarian Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Dennis Aguayo Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Brian Beal Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Tim Beck Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Gregg Brelsford Independent $43,827 $28,842 $14,985 As of July 27, 2022
Robert Brown Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Arlene Carle Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Santa Claus Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Lady Donna Dutchess Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Laurel Foster Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Karyn Griffin Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Al Gross Independent $707,344 $696,168 $11,176 As of July 27, 2022
Andrew Halcro Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
William Hibler Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
David Hughes Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Don Knight Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Jeff Lowenfels Independent $153,293 $89,003 $14,809 As of June 30, 2022
Anne McCabe Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Sherry Mettler Independent $8,350 $8,309 $41 As of July 27, 2022
Silvio Pellegrini Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Sherry Strizak Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
David Thistle Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Jason Williams Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2022. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.


Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[42][43]

If available, satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. FEC links include totals from monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports. OpenSecrets.org compiles data from those reports as well as 24- and 48-hour reports from the FEC.[44]

Details about satellite spending of significant amounts and/or reported by media are included below those links. The amounts listed may not represent the total satellite spending in the election. To notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.

By candidate By election
  • Americans for Prosperity Action had spent $773,002 supporting Nick Begich as of August 12, 2022.[45]
  • Protect Freedom PAC spent $298,125 supporting Sarah Palin as of August 12, 2022.[45]

Noteworthy events

Gross withdraws, three advance from primary

Third-place special primary election finisher Al Gross withdrew from the race on June 20.[46] Gross said, "There are two outstanding Alaska Native women in this race who would both serve our state well, and I encourage my supporters to stay engaged and consider giving their first-place vote to whichever of them best matches their own values."[47] Gross' campaign said he was referring to Peltola and Tara Sweeney (R).[48]

On June 21, Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai said that Sweeney, the fifth-place finisher, would not advance to the special general election because Gross' withdrawal took place fewer than 64 days before the election and that "[a]ny party that disagrees with these decisions should file suit immediately."[49]

Three registered voters sued Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer (R), Fenumiai, and the Division of Elections on June 23, arguing that the 64-day withdrawal timeline didn't apply to special elections and that Sweeney should be placed on the special general election ballot.[50] On June 25, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that Sweeney would not appear on the ballot.[29]

Alaska's top-four primary/ranked-choice voting general election system

See also: Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)

In 2020, voters in Alaska passed Ballot Measure 2 in a 50.55%-49.45% vote. The measure established open top-four primaries for state executive, state legislative, and congressional offices and ranked-choice voting for general elections, including presidential elections. As a result, the 2022 special and regular U.S. House elections were conducted as follows.

In each race, all primary candidates ran in a single primary election, regardless of the candidate's party affiliation. The four candidates that received the most votes advanced to the general election.[51] As of 2022, California and Washington used a top-two system for primaries.

At the general election, voters used ranked-choice voting. They could rank the four candidates that advanced from their top-four primaries. A candidate needed a simple majority of the vote (50%+1) to be declared the winner of an election. Under this system, if no candidate wins a simple majority of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. People who voted for that candidate as their first choice have their votes redistributed to their second choice. The tabulation process continues until there are two candidates remaining, and the candidate with the greatest number of votes wins.[51]


District Analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - An interactive map of the district including cities and towns.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2022 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

District map

Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Because Alaska only has one district, it did not change as part of the 2020 redistricting cycle.


Competitiveness

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2022

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Alaska.

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.

Presidential elections

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2022 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+8. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 8 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Alaska's At-Large the 165th most Republican district nationally.[52]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Alaska's At-Large based on 2022 district lines
Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
43.0% 53.1%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Alaska, 2020

Alaska presidential election results (1900-2020)

  • 1 Democratic win
  • 15 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winning Party N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A R D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R


Demographics

The table below details demographic data in Alaska and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.

Demographic Data for Alaska
Alaska United States
Population 710,231 308,745,538
Land area (sq mi) 571,019 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White 64.6% 72.5%
Black/African American 3.3% 12.7%
Asian 6.2% 5.5%
Native American 14.9% 0.8%
Pacific Islander 1.2% 0.2%
Other (single race) 1.5% 4.9%
Multiple 8.2% 3.3%
Hispanic/Latino 7% 18%
Education
High school graduation rate 92.8% 88%
College graduation rate 29.6% 32.1%
Income
Median household income $77,640 $62,843
Persons below poverty level 10.7% 13.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


State party control

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Alaska's congressional delegation as of November 2022.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Alaska, November 2022
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 1 1
Republican 2 0 2
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 1 3

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Alaska's top three state executive offices as of November 2022.

State executive officials in Alaska, November 2022
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Mike Dunleavy
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party Kevin Meyer
Attorney General Republican Party Treg Taylor

State legislature

The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Alaska State Legislature as of November 2022.

Alaska State Senate

Party As of November 2022
     Democratic Party 7
     Republican Party 13
     Vacancies 0
Total 20

Alaska House of Representatives

Party As of November 2022
     Democratic Party 15
     Republican Party 21
     Independent 3
     Nonpartisan 1
     Vacancies 0
Total 40

Trifecta control

As of November 2022, Alaska was a divided government, with Republicans controlling the state senate and governorship and a split house. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.

Alaska Party Control: 1992-2022
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
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
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
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

Ranked-choice voting in the U.S.

History of RCV in the states

As of 2022, voters had decided on four ranked-choice voting ballot measures in three states—Alaska, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Maine (2016, 2018)

In 2016, Maine became the first state to pass an RCV ballot measure, Maine Question 5, which established the voting system for congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative primary and general elections.

Legislators passed a bill to repeal Question 5, but the initiative's backers brought the legislation to a public vote through the veto referendum process in 2018. Voters approved Question 1, upholding RCV in Maine.

The Maine State Legislature expanded RCV to presidential elections in 2020. Opponents petitioned a referendum to repeal the legislation but fell about 1,000 signatures short of the requirement.

Massachusetts (2020)

Voters in Massachusetts defeated an RCV ballot initiative in 2020 with 54.8% of the vote. Like Maine Question 5, Massachusetts Question 2 would have established RCV for primary and general elections.

Alaska (2020)

Alaska Measure 2 passed with 50.6% of the vote. Measure 2 was different than Maine's or Massachusetts' RCV initiatives in that primary elections would not use RCV. Instead, Measure 2 replaced partisan primaries with open top-four primaries for state executive, state legislative, and congressional offices. Under Measure 2, voters then use RCV to rank the four candidates at the general election.

State and local use

As of September 2025, ranked-choice voting is used in some states and localities across the United States. See the map, tables, and list below for further details. The numbers below do not include states where RCV is used by a political party for partisan primaries, or where military/UOCAVA voters use ranked ballots for runoff elections. For more information on these uses of RCV, see the table beneath the map below.

If you know of any additional U.S. localities using RCV that should be included here, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.[53]

  • RCV used statewide: Three states use RCV statewide. Alaska and Maine use RCV in some federal and statewide elections, while Hawaii uses it for certain statewide elections.
  • RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities: Fourteen states contain localities that either use or are scheduled to begin using RCV in municipal elections.
  • RCV prohibited: Seventeen states have adopted law prohibiting the use of RCV in any elections.
  • No laws addressing RCV, not in use: Twenty-two states have no laws addressing RCV, and neither the state nor any localities in the state use it.[54]


The map below shows which states use ranked-choice voting statewide or in some localities as of September 2025. It also shows the states where RCV is either prohibited or not addressed in the law. It does not show states where RCV is used by a political party for partisan primaries, or where military/UOCAVA voters use ranked ballots for runoff elections. See the table beneath the map for details on these uses of RCV.


The table below summarizes the use of ranked-choice voting in the U.S. by state as of September 2025.

Ranked-choice voting usage in U.S. states and localities
State RCV use Details State law
Alabama RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2024 Alabama Code § 11-46-10, Alabama Code § 17-1-6
Alaska RCV used statewide RCV has been authorized for federal and certain statewide elections since 2020 and used since 2022.
RCV was used for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary in this state.
Alaska Statutes § 15-15-350
Arizona No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
Arkansas RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2025 Arkansas Code § 7-1-116
California RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is used in the following seven localities: Albany, Berkeley, Eureka, Oakland, Palm Desert, San Francisco, and San Leandro.
RCV is also authorized in the following two localities: Ojai (scheduled for use in 2024) and Redondo Beach (scheduled for use in 2025).
Cal. Government Code § 24206 also permits Santa Clara County to use RCV
California Government Code § 24206
Colorado RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is used in the following five localities: Basalt, Boulder, Broomfield, Carbondale, and Fort Collins. Colo. Rev. Stat. § 1-7-118 permits certain municipalities to use RCV for local elections. Colorado Revised Statutes § 1-7-118.
Connecticut No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
Delaware RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is used in the following locality: Arden
Florida RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2022, blocking its adoption in the following locality: Sarasota Florida Statutes § 101.019
Georgia No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections Military/UOCAVA voters use ranked ballots when voting in runoff elections.
Hawaii RCV used statewide RCV has been authorized statewide for certain federal and local elections since 2022 and used since 2023.
RCV was used for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary in this state.
Hawaii Revised Statutes § 11-100
Idaho RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2023 Idaho Statutes § 34-903B
Illinois RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is authorized in the following localities: Evanston (scheduled for use in 2025), Skokie (scheduled for use in 2026), Springfield (only used by overseas absentee voters in local elections)
Indiana No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections
Iowa RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2025 Iowa Code § 49.93
Kansas RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2025. RCV was used for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary in this state
Kentucky RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2024 Kentucky Revised Statutes § 117.147
Louisiana RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2024 Louisiana Revised Statutes § 18:404
Maine RCV used statewide RCV has been authorized for federal and statewide elections since 2016 and used since 2018.
Maine has also authorized RCV for all municipal election and it is currently used for these elections in the following localities: Portland, and Westbrook
30-A Maine Revised Statutes § 2528, sub-§ 10
Maryland RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is used in the following locality: Tacoma Park
Massachusetts RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is used in the following two localities: Cambridge and Easthampton. Cambridge holds the record for the longest continuous use of RCV in the U.S. (1941-present).
RCV is also authorized in the following locality: Amherst (schedule for use is uncertain)
Michigan No laws addressing RCV, not in use RCV has been approved, but is not used, in the following localities: Ann Arbor, Ferndale, Kalamazoo, East Lansing, and Royal Oak. Although Michigan does not explicitly prohibit the use of RCV, state election laws prevent the implementation of RCV.
Minnesota RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is used in the following five localities: Bloomington, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, and St. Paul. RCV was also used in the following locality, but it is no longer in use: Hopkins
Mississippi RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2024 Mississippi Code § 23-15-893
Missouri RCV prohibited Missouri voters approved Amendment 7 on November 5, 2024. The constitutional amendment prohibited ranked-choice voting, among other changes to the state's election laws Article VIII, § 3 of the Missouri Constitution
Montana RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2023 Montana Code Annotated § 13-1-125
Nebraska No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
Nevada No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections RCV was used for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary in this state
New Hampshire No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
New Jersey No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
New Mexico RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is used in the following two localities: Las Cruces and Santa Fe New Mexico Annotated Statutes § 1-22-16
New York RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is used in the following locality: New York City
North Carolina No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
North Dakota RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2025 North Dakota Century Code § 16.1-01
Ohio No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
Oklahoma RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2024 Oklahoma Statutes § 26-1-112
Oregon RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is used in the following locality: Benton County and Corvallis.
RCV is also authorized in the following two localities: Multnomah County (scheduled for use in 2026) and Portland (scheduled for use in 2024)
Pennsylvania No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
Rhode Island No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
South Carolina No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections Military/UOCAVA voters use ranked ballots when voting in runoff elections
South Dakota RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2023 South Dakota Codified Laws § 12-1-9.1.
Tennessee RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2022, blocking its adoption in the following locality: Memphis Tennessee Code § 2-8-117
Texas No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
Utah RCV is used in the following 12 localities as of 2025: Genola, Heber, Kearns, Lehi, Magna, Midvale, Millcreek, Payson, Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Vineyard, and Woodland Hills. The state adopted a pilot program allowing RCV in 2018. The program expires after the 2025 election.   Utah Code § 20A-4-603
Vermont RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is used in the following locality: Burlington
Virginia RCV authorized by state law, but not in use All localities in Virginia have been authorized to use RCV since 2021. RCV is used for a partisan primary in the following locality: Arlington Code of Virginia § 24.2-673.1
Washington RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities RCV is authorized in the following locality: Seattle (scheduled for use in 2027)
West Virginia RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2025 West Virginia Code § 3-1-52.
Wisconsin No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections  
Wyoming RCV prohibited RCV was banned by legislation in 2025 Wyoming Code § 22-2-117


2022 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This election was a battleground race. Other 2022 battleground elections included:

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Alaska Division of Elections, "EARLY & ABSENTEE IN-PERSON VOTING LOCATIONS," accessed August 5, 2022
  2. New York Times, "Alaska At-Large Congressional District Special Election Results," accessed August 31, 2022
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Alaska Public Media, "Gross, a top four candidate for US House, calls it quits," June 20, 2022
  4. Alaska Division of Elections, "Terms and Definitions," accessed September 7, 2022
  5. Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska U.S. Rep. Don Young has died at age 88," accessed March 18, 2022
  6. Begich Sr.'s plane went missing while he was in office in 1972. Politico, "Democrat Peltola beats Palin in Alaska special election upset," August 31, 2022
  7. LinkedIn, "Mary Sattler Peltola," accessed June 27, 2022
  8. Mary Peltola's 2022 campaign website, "Why Mary," accessed July 15, 2022
  9. Nick Begich's 2022 campaign website, "Meet Nick Begich," accessed June 27, 2022
  10. U.S. News & World Report, "Begich Announces US House Bid: 'Alaska Needs New Energy,'" October 28, 2021
  11. Sarah Palin's 2022 campaign website, "Her Story," accessed June 27, 2022
  12. Politico, "Sarah Palin announces run for Congress," April 1, 2022
  13. Alaska Public Media, "Alaska Republican Party endorses Nick Begich III for US House," April 22, 2022
  14. John Coghill's 2022 campaign website, "Home," June 20, 2022
  15. Politico, "Trump endorses Palin in Alaska House special election," April 3, 2022
  16. Gross also endorsed Tara Sweeney (R), but the state supreme court ruled she could not advance to the general election.
  17. Twitter, "Santa Claus on June 25, 2022," accessed July 7, 2022
  18. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, "U.S. House candidate gets early endorsements from the competition," updated June 22, 2022
  19. Alaska Public Media, "Sweeney files as official write-in candidate in special US House race," August 12, 2022
  20. Alaska Division of Elections, "2022 SPECIAL GENERAL ELECTION FOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE," accessed August 15, 2022
  21. Anchorage Daily News, "Candidate Q&As: Compare the candidates in Alaska’s special U.S. House election," August 7, 2022
  22. Federal Election Commission, "Alaska - House District 00," accessed August 12, 2022
  23. Sarah Palin's 2022 campaign website, "SARAH PALIN VOWS TO FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN CPAC SPEECH," August 5, 2022
  24. 24.0 24.1 YouTube, "Congressional Candidate Forum - 08.01.22 - KINY," August 1, 2022
  25. Federal Election Commission, "Alaska - House District 00," accessed July 20, 2022
  26. Anchorage Daily News, "Thousands gather in Anchorage for Trump rally," July 10, 2022
  27. 27.0 27.1 Anchorage Daily News, "Watch: Candidate forum with the 3 U.S. House hopefuls in Alaska’s special election," June 29, 2022
  28. 28.0 28.1 Alaska Black Caucus, "Alaska Congressional Special Election Candidate Forum," June 26, 2022
  29. 29.0 29.1 Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska Supreme Court ruling keeps Tara Sweeney off U.S. House special election ballot," accessed June 25, 2022
  30. Sabato's Crystal Ball, "Notes on the State of Politics: June 22, 2022," June 22, 2022
  31. Alaska Division of Elections, "RCV Tabulation, Official Results," accessed September 7, 2022
  32. Alaska Division of Elections, "Sample Ballots," accessed July 8, 2022
  33. For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from the American Association for Public Opinion Research and Ipsos.
  34. Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
  35. RV=Registered Voters
    LV=Likely Voters
  36. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  37. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  38. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  39. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  40. Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
  41. Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
  42. OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
  43. OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
  44. Amee LaTour, Email correspondence with the Center for Responsive Politics, August 5, 2022
  45. 45.0 45.1 Open Secrets, "Alaska District 01 2022 Race," August 12, 2022
  46. Alaska Public Media, "Gross, a top four candidate for US House, calls it quits," June 20, 2022
  47. Twitter, "Anchorage Daily News on June 20, 2022," accessed June 21, 2022
  48. The Washington Post, "Independent Al Gross says he's ending Alaska House bid," June 21, 2022
  49. Alaska Public Media, "Alaska elections official says 5th place finisher can’t fill vacancy on US House ballot. Sweeney campaign disagrees," June 21, 2022
  50. Associated Press, "Lawsuit says Sweeney should advance in Alaska US House race," June 24, 2022
  51. 51.0 51.1 Alaska Division of Elections, "Alaska's Better Elections Initiative," accessed January 6, 2020
  52. Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed February 6, 2023
  53. Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center, "Where is RCV Used," accessed January 17, 2023
  54. Michigan is included in this category despite numerous local jurisdictions approving the use of RCV. Although Michigan does not explicitly prohibit the use of RCV, state election laws prevent the implementation of RCV. One jurisdiction in the state, Eastpointe, did use RCV between 2019-2023 as a result of federal enforcement under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The jurisdictions of Ann Arbor, Ferndale, Kalamazoo, East Lansing, and Royal Oak have all authorized the use of RCV and plan to begin using the election method if legislation providing the state's authorization is signed into law.


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