Several incumbent Alaska legislators trail in preliminary election results

Preliminary election results from Tuesday’s election showed several incumbent Alaska legislators trailing behind their challengers.

On the line is control of both the House and Senate, which can have a significant impact on the types of bills that become law, and how the Legislature works with Gov. Mike Dunleavy. This year, coalition-minded candidates maintained a sizable fundraising advantage.

Legislative candidates across Alaska say that education has been a major issue this election, particularly after lawmakers failed by one vote in March to override Dunleavy’s veto of a bipartisan school-funding bill.

Candidates say other top issues have included potentially reestablishing a pension for public sector workers and teachers, addressing a looming shortage of Cook Inlet natural gas that could see power and heating bills rise, and reforming the state’s election system.

Tens of thousands of ballots are still to be counted.

The Division of Elections reported that around 79,000 absentee ballots had been issued to voters, and that nearly 49,000 of them were returned as of Sunday. Absentee ballots arriving from overseas can be counted as long as they arrive at the Division of Elections within 15 days of Election Day.

In addition, nearly 62,000 Alaskans cast ballots before Tuesday at one of a dozen early voting locations.

The division will initially only count voters’ first choices. In races where candidates don’t get a clear majority, the ranked choice tabulation process will determine a winner on Nov. 20.

The House

The state House is currently governed by a Republican-led majority. Four non-Republican legislators who represent districts in rural Alaska have been part of the current GOP-led majority.

Key House legislators said Tuesday that a majority would likely form only after backroom negotiations between lawmakers.

Preliminary results as of Wednesday afternoon showed three incumbent House legislators trailing behind their challengers, and several key races too close to call:

• Far-right Republican Rep. David Eastman was trailing behind fellow Republican Jubilee Underwood for a Wasilla House seat, with all five precincts reporting results. Underwood was leading 51.1% to Eastman’s 47.7%.

• Rep. Craig Johnson, a Republican from South Anchorage, was trailing far behind former Rep. Chuck Kopp, a fellow Republican. Kopp was leading with 60.9% of the vote with all six precincts reporting results.

• Former Republican Anchorage state Sen. Mia Costello was comfortably ahead against Democratic candidate Denny Wells for an open West Anchorage House seat, 52.5% to 44.8%. Perennial candidate Dustin Darden had 2.6%.

• Fairbanks Democratic Rep. Maxine Dibert was comfortably ahead of former Republican Rep. Bart LeBon 53.2% to 46.5%, with all four precincts reporting results.

• Anchorage Democratic Rep. Cliff Groh, a member of the bipartisan House minority, was narrowly leading his opponent, former Republican Rep. David Nelson, for a North Anchorage seat. With all five precincts reporting results, Groh was ahead by 28 votes.

• Rep. Stanley Wright, a Republican representing North Muldoon, was trailing Democratic challenger Ted Eischeid with all four precincts reporting results. Wright had 48.5% compared to Eischeid with 51.3%.

• Independent Ky Holland was ahead of Republican Lucy Bauer for an open South Anchorage seat. Holland had 53.1% against Bauer with 46.7% of the vote. Nine of nine precincts had reported results.

• In Ketchikan, Jeremy Bynum had 51.6% of the vote for an open seat after independent Rep. Dan Ortiz announced he wasn’t running for reelection. Independent Grant EchoHawk had 23.7%, and independent Agnes Moran had 24.6% of the vote.

The Senate

The 20-seat Alaska Senate is currently governed by a 17-member bipartisan supermajority that includes nine Democrats and eight Republicans. A bipartisan majority is expected to govern in the Senate again next year, but the election could shift the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans.

Kodiak Republican Senate President Gary Stevens said on Tuesday that he anticipates a Senate majority will be named on Wednesday. Preliminary numbers as of Wednesday afternoon pointed toward mixed results for coalition members.

• Wasilla Republican Sen. David Wilson, a member of the majority, was trailing far behind fellow Republican Rob Yundt, a former member of the Mat-Su Borough Assembly. Yundt had 53.6% of the vote, compared to Wilson with 28.7%. Stephen Wright, another Republican, had 16.5% of the vote. Twelve of 12 precincts had reported results.

• Fairbanks Democratic Sen. Scott Kawasaki was narrowly ahead against Republican challenger Leslie Hajdukovich by 74 votes. All eight precincts had reported results in the most expensive race this cycle.

• Eagle River Republican Sen. Kelly Merrick, another coalition member, was ahead with 46.5% of the vote against Republican challenger Jared Goecker with 40.4%, and Democrat Lee Hammermeister with 12.8%. Thirteen of 13 precincts had reported results.

• Rep. Mike Cronk was ahead with 52.6% of the vote for a vast Senate seat in the Interior. Savannah Fletcher, an independent, was second with 40.7% and Bert Williams, an Alaska Independence Party candidate, had 6.4%. Forty-seven of 48 precincts had reported results.