By AlaskaWatchman.com

Alaska’s Division of Elections counted nearly 71,000 absentee and early votes on Nov. 10. The new counts heavily favor Democrats in the State Legislature who have taken leads in several races they trailed on election day.

On the national front, President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Don Young are all maintaining substantial leads despite gains from liberal candidates. The state has another 85,000 votes to count.

Trump continues to hold a solid lead over Joe Biden in the quest to pick up Alaska’s three electoral votes. On Nov. 3, Trump was ahead by 54,598 votes. He now leads by 46,000 votes for a 57% to 39% advantage.

In the critical race for U.S. Senate, incumbent Dan Sullivan started Nov. 10 off with a 57,810-vote lead over Al Gross. This margin shrunk to 52,061 votes, but Sullivan still enjoys a 57% to 37% cushion. This race has drawn national attention because it could flip the U.S. Senate into Democratic control. If Biden ultimately prevails that would give Democrats both Houses of Congress and the presidency which would allow them to fundamentally reshape major institutions of American life, including packing the U.S. Supreme Court.

As of Nov. 11, the Senate Republicans have a  49-48 lead with three races still in play – two in Georgia and one in Alaska. Republicans would need to win two out of three races in order to keep control of the Senate under a Biden presidency. They need to pick up two more seats to keep control of the Senate if Trump ultimately prevails.

In the race for U.S. House, Rep. Don Young is holding off two-time challenger Alyse Galvin. Young’s 50,325-vote lead on election day is down to 42,174, which is still a 58% to 43% advantage.

BALLOT MEASURES & JUDGES

  • The 22 judges up for election are all on pace to easily retain their positions.
  • Ballot Measure 1, which aims to increase taxes on oil companies is failing by a margin of 61% to 39%.
  • Ballot Measure 2, which would do away with party primaries and fundamentally change the way Alaska elections are conducted, is failing by a margin of 52.5% to 47.5%.

STATE LEGISLATURE

As of Nov. 10, Republicans in the Alaska Legislature were winning 8 of 11 Senate races and 27 of 40 House contests. If those numbers hold, the Senate would remain unchanged with a 11-9 Republican majority. In the House, Republicans would lose one seat but maintain a solid 27-13 majority.

The new Legislature may not include more Republicans, but several new faces are expected to be much more conservative than their predecessors.

Below are updated results for all Alaska Legislature races. Updates will be provided later today.

ALASKA SENATE

District B: Republican Robert Myers (10,196) leads non-affiliated Marna Sanford (7,047) – 56% to 39%

District D: Republican David Wilson (11,821) leads Democrat Thomas Lamb (2,468) – 69% to 14%.

District F: Republican Shelley Hughes (13,898) leads Democrat Jim Cooper (4,625) – 77% to 17%

District H: Democrat Bill Wielechowski (6,719) leads Republican Madeleine Gaiser (4,919) – 58% to 42%

District J: Democrat Tom Begich wins unopposed

District L: Republican Natasha von Imhof (7,788) leads Democrat Roselynn Cacy (4,532) – 62% to 36%

District M: Republican Josh Revak (8,249) leads non-affiliated Andy Holleman (5,269) – 61% to 39%

District N: Republican Roger Holland (7,127) leads Democrat Carl Johnson (4,038) 61% to 35%

District P: Republican Gary Stevens leads (5,729) AK Independent Greg Madden (3,289) – 63% to 36%

District R: Republican Bert Stedman wins unopposed

District T: Democrat Donny Olson (5,216) leads Republican Thomas Baker (2,758) – 65% to 34%

ALASKA HOUSE

District 1: Republican Bart Lebon (3,720) leads Democrat Christopher Quist (2,989) – 55% to 44%

District 2: Republican Steve Thompson (3,605) leads Democrat Jeremiah Youmans (1,541) – 70% to 30%

District 3: Republican Mike Prax wins unopposed

District 4: Democrat Grier Hopkins (6,006) leads Republican Keith Kurber (4,781) – 56% to 44%

District 5: Democrat Adam Wool (4,289) leads Republican Kevin McKinley (3,807) – 53% to 47%

District 6: Republican Mike Cronk (4,674) leads Democrat Julia Hnilicka (2,513) – 56% to 30%

District 7: Republican Christopher Kurka (6,164) leads non-affiliated Jamin Burton (2,132) – 74% to 26%

District 8: Republican Kevin McCabe (7,041) leads Democrat Alma Hartley (1,588) – 81% to 18%

District 9: Republican George Rauscher (7,144) leads Democrat Bill Johnson (2,710) – 72% to 27%

District 10: Republican David Eastman (7,110) leads Democrat Monica Stein-Olson (2,506) – 74% to 26%

District 11: Republican DeLena Johnson (7,037) leads Democrat Andrea Hackbarth (2,443) – 74% to 26%

District 12: Republican Cathy Tilton wins unopposed

District 13: Republican Ken McCarty (2,542) leads Democrat James Canitz (716) – 78% to 22%

District 14: Republican Kelly Merrick (3,640) leads non-affiliated Mike Risinger (796) – 82% to 18%

District 15: Republican David Nelson (2,321) leads Democrat Lyn Franks (2,206) – 51% to 49%

District 16: Democrat Ivy Spohnholz (3,778) leads Republican Paul Bauer (2,890) – 53% to 41%

District 17: Democrat Andy Josephson wins unopposed

District 18: Democrat Harriet Drummond wins unopposed

District 19: Democrat Geran Tarr wins unopposed

District 20: Democrat Zack Fields wins unopposed

District 21: Democrat Matt Claman (5,178) leads Republican Lynette Largent (3,241) – 61% to 38%

District 22: Republican Sara Rasmussen (3,374) leads non-affiliated Stephen Trimble (1,231) – 64% to 23%

District 23: Democrat Chris Tuck (3,231) leads Republican Kathy Henslee (2,976) leads– 47% to 44%

District 24: Republican Tom McKay (3,857) leads Democrat Sue Levi (1,903) – 67% to 33%

District 25: Democrat Calvin Schrage (4,316) leads Republican Mel Gillis (3,936) – 52% to 48%

District 26:  Republican Laddie Shaw wins unopposed

District 27: Republican Lance Pruitt (3,155) leads Democrat Liz Snyder (1,992) – 61% to 39%

District 28: Republican James Kaufman (4,084) leads Democrat Suzanne LaFrance (2,378) – 60% to 35%

District 29: Republican Benjamin Carpenter (5,422) leads non-affiliated Paul Dale (2,815) – 66% to 34%

District 30: Republican Ron Gillham (2,990) leads non-affiliated James Baisden (1,505) – 66% to 33%

District 31: Republican Sarah Vance (3,711) leads non-affiliated Kelly Cooper (1,571) – 70% to 30%

District 32: Republican Louise Stutes wins unopposed

District 33: Democrat Sara Hannan wins unopposed

District 34: Democrat Andi Story (5,879) leads non-affiliated Ed King (3,544) – 62% to 37%

District 35: Republican Kenny Skaflestad (2,063) leads Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (1,912) – 52% to 48%

District 36: Democrat Dan Ortiz (2,805) leads Republican Leslie Becker (2,214) – 56% to 44%

District 37: Democrat Bryce Edgmon wins unopposed

District 38: Democrat Tiffany Zulkosky (2,232) leads non-affiliated Willy Keppel (1,522) – 59% to 40%

District 39: Democrat Neal Foster (3,036) leads Republican Dan Holmes (854) – 63% to 18%

District 40: Non-affiliated Josiah Patkotak (1,816) leads Elizabeth Ferguson (1,416) – 56% to 44%

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Alaska absentee votes favoring Dems, but GOP maintaining leads in key races

Joel Davidson
Joel is Editor-in-Chief of the Alaska Watchman. Joel is an award winning journalist and has been reporting for over 24 years, He is a proud father of 8 children, and lives in Palmer, Alaska.


2 Comments

  • Michael S Totten says:

    A bunch of liberals from Cali,, wa,, and OR. Moved up to alaska over the years and brought their liberal disease with them and now alaska is infested with liberal lawmakers. What a waste of a once great state. I watched it go from blood red conservative to borderline blue in 16 years. That’s why I got out of there. Good luck with the 9th circus court alaska!

  • Geri says:

    In any other situation other than this extraordinary one which involves COVID, I’d agree. Mail in ballots would favor Democrats. But, because of COVID, I think there are also many Republicans who voted by mail, myself being one of them.