Democrat Mary Peltola has been declared the winner over former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in an Alaska special general election.
Peltola will serve the remainder of former GOP Rep. Don Young’s term in Congress, according to unofficial ranked-choice voting results announced.
The seat to represent Alaska’s at-large congressional district became vacant after Young, who held the seat for 49 years, passed away earlier this year.
The special election was only to determine who fills the rest of Young’s term, which ends on Jan. 3.
Peltola, Palin, Nick Begich, and Chris Bye will face off in another ranked-choice election in November.
“The special general election for the vacant seat in Alaska, which was held on Aug. 17, used ranked-choice voting, a measure approved by Alaska residents in 2020 that dismissed the state’s previous election method consisting of partisan elections ahead of general elections. Due to the measure’s approval, all candidates in the special election appeared on the same ballot,” Fox News reported.
“Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference on their ballots. Should one candidate receive a majority of first-preference votes, that individual is declared the winner in the race. However, if no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated. Following the elimination of the candidate who received the least amount of first-preference votes, voters’ second-preference choices are evaluated and a new tally is established to determine whether a candidate in the race has received a majority of the vote. That process is repeated until a candidate wins a majority of the vote,” the report added.
As evidenced in the vote totals below, Palin and Begich — two Republicans — split a huge chunk of the votes from one another.
The even better news for Dems tonight is that Mary Peltola's (D) lead over Sarah Palin (R) in the #AKAL special election just stretched to over 13k votes, giving Peltola a better chance of winning when Nick Begich's (R) second-choice votes are tabulated next week. pic.twitter.com/zMzjUqBri8
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) August 24, 2022
Peltola's victory is a major upset in a state that voted for Trump by 10 points in 2020, and it makes her the first Native Alaskan elected to Congress.
Peltola will also be the first Democrat to represent the seat in nearly half a century. https://t.co/lhFsdVK8Z5
— Axios (@axios) September 1, 2022
In April, former President Donald Trump endorsed Palin, a long-time ally.
“Wonderful patriot Sarah Palin of Alaska just announced that she is running for Congress, and that means there will be a true America First fighter on the ballot to replace the late and legendary Congressman Don Young,” Trump noted in a statement put out by his Save America PAC.
“Sarah shocked many when she endorsed me very early in 2016, and we won big,” Trump continued. “Now, it’s my turn!
“Sarah has been a champion for Alaska values, Alaska energy, Alaska jobs, and the great people of Alaska. She was one of the most popular governors because she stood up to corruption in both State Government and the Fake News Media,” Trump added. “Sarah lifted the [late Sen. John] McCain presidential campaign out of the dumps despite the fact that she had to endure some very evil, stupid, and jealous people within the campaign itself.
“They were out to destroy her, but she didn’t let that happen,” the former president continued. “Sarah Palin is tough and smart and will never back down, and I am proud to give her my Complete and Total Endorsement, and encourage all Republicans to unite behind this wonderful person and her campaign to put America First.”
A week prior, Palin took to Facebook to announce that she would run for the seat held by Young, 88, since 1973.
“Today I’m announcing my candidacy for the U.S. House seat representing Alaska. Public service is a calling, and I would be honored to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress, just as Rep. Young did for 49 years,” Palin wrote. “I realize that I have very big shoes to fill, and I plan to honor Rep. Young’s legacy by offering myself up in the name of service to the state he loved and fought for because I share that passion for Alaska and the United States of America.”
She added: “I first entered politics 30 years ago, when I was elected to city council in Wasilla. I still live in Wasilla; my family is here; my son goes to school here. My heart will always be in Alaska, even when I’m representing this great state in Washington, D.C.”
“America is at a tipping point. As I’ve watched the far left destroy the country, I knew I had to step up and join the fight. The people of the great State of Alaska, like others all over the country, are struggling with out-of-control inflation, empty shelves, and gas prices that are among the highest in the world. We need energy security for this country, and Alaska can help provide that – but only if the federal government gets out of the way and lets the free market do what it does best,” Palin said.
“At this critical time in our nation’s history, we need leaders who will combat the left’s socialist, big-government, America-last agenda. This country was built by heroes, and the radical left dishonors their legacies by opening our borders to illegal immigrants, mortgaging our children’s future, and selling out our nation’s interests to the highest bidder,” she continued.
“I’m in this race to win it and join the fight for freedom alongside other patriots willing to sacrifice all to save our country,” she concluded.
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