Vote tallies updated late Tuesday night show Republican challenger Nick Begich III is likely to prevail over Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, and a ballot measure repealing ranked choice voting and open primaries is likely to succeed.
The latest results also offer some clarity — and continuing uncertainty — on three state legislative races that have been deemed too close to call.
Begich has 49.11% while Peltola has 45.81% of 295,806 votes tallied as of 9:25 p.m. Tuesday, one week after election day, according to the Alaska Division of Elections. That means Peltola gained 0.7% in 38,158 ballots added since the previous count, with election officials estimating there are 23,000 absentee, early and questioned ballots still to be counted.
A Begich win would help ensure Republicans hold onto their slim majority in the U.S. House.
A projected winner of the race has still not been announced by the Associated Press or other major media “decision desks.” Alaska’s ranked choice voting means if no candidate gets a majority of first-choice votes the outcome will be determined on Nov. 20 when second- and third-choice votes are added to candidate totals as necessary.
The other two candidates in the race for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat are Alaskan Independence Party Chair John Wayne Howe with 3.87% and New York prison inmate Eric Hafner, running as a Democrat, with 1%.
Repealing the ranked choice voting system, which includes open primaries where the top four finishers advance to the general election regardless of party, is also maintaining a steady lead of 1% (50.5% to 49-5%). Supporters of ranked choice have already said before Tuesday’s count they do not believe they can make up the gap with the remaining votes.
In the Alaska Legislature, Sen. Scott Kawasaki, a Fairbanks Democrat, has significantly increased his lead over Republican challenger Leslie Hajdukovich, which is now at 351 votes compared to 74 votes before Tuesday’s count. He is ahead 51.4%-48.32%.
In the state House, Democratic challenger Ted Eischeid has put some distance between himself with a 198-vote leader over Republican incumbent Stanley Wright for a seat representing Muldoon. The gap was previously 111 votes.
Still far too close to call, however, is the race for a North Anchorage House seat where Democratic incumbent Cliff Groh is 19 votes head of Republican David Nelson. Groh was ahead by 28 votes before Tuesday’s count.
The latest tally represents 48.41% of Alaska’s registered voters and 402 of the state’s 403 precincts.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
