Progressive independent drops out of Anchorage state House race, leaving Democrat uncontested

Nick Moe, a nonpartisan progressive running for Alaska House District 16 in West Anchorage, is ending his campaign, he said Monday.

“There’s a path to winning, but it’s narrow,” he said after preliminary primary election results showed him significantly trailing Democratic candidate Carolyn Hall.

“I mean, we’re gonna probably raise another 70 grand in this race fighting against each other. So I think trying to use those resources and energy and time to elect other good people is a smart decision,” he said.

Moe’s decision leaves Hall unopposed for the seat, and both candidates said that the decision will leave more money and volunteer time available for competitive races elsewhere.

“There’s a limited universe of people who volunteer on races, and there’s a limited universe of donations. So anytime you’re putting money toward a race that really isn’t going to change the makeup of the Legislature, it impacts all those other races,” said Amber Lee, a consultant who has been advising Hall.

“It’ll send those volunteers that we’re going to volunteer for Carolyn to the races that do make a difference, and donors can focus their money on those races,” she said.

Hall thanked Moe for his decision.

“I think what he did was really admirable, and I’m really grateful that he was looking at the big picture and recognizing that there are a lot closer races that deserve attention, and that includes his attention,” Hall said.

Moe said he intends to volunteer for other Democratic candidates in Anchorage, and he hopes his supporters will, too.

For her part, Hall said she has many goals before joining the new Alaska Legislature in January.

“I’m thinking that I still have a lot of work to do when it comes to getting out the vote and making sure that we’re turning up the voter turnout for November,” Hall said.

“I believe it matters for races up the ballot, making sure that Mary Peltola is getting the support that she needs … I think that’s really important to make sure that she’s getting reelected,” she said.

As of Monday, Moe had 37.7% of the vote in his primary election race against Hall and was about 850 votes behind her, out of more than 3,400 cast.

[State Rep. Tom McKay drops out of West Anchorage Senate race]

The seat is currently held by Rep. Jennie Armstrong, D-Anchorage, but Armstrong declined to run for re-election.

In 2022, Armstrong defeated Republican former legislator Liz Vazquez by about 800 votes out of almost 7,700 cast. This year, Vazquez is challenging state Sen. Matt Claman, D-Anchorage, and there is no Republican in the House race.

Of the 40 seats in the Alaska House, three Democrats, one independent and five Republicans had been running unopposed for re-election. Moe’s decision means 10 of the 40 seats now have no challenger.

The deadline for write-in candidates to apply is Oct. 31.

Originally published by the Alaska Beacon, an independent, nonpartisan news organization that covers Alaska state government.