Alaskans across the political spectrum can claim victory (or defeat) the day after the state’s first ranked choice general election, with Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy likely winning a second term more easily than many expected, a constitutional convention favored by many conservatives losing in a landslide, and the state House and Senate seemingly moving in opposite directions in the degree of their partisan makeup.<\/p>\n
Uncertainty is also a common factor, especially in the outcome of the two congressional races, as Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola appear positioned to win reelection when the full ranked choice tally takes place in two weeks, although their main challengers still have at least some cause for hope.<\/p>\n
But while there were no “waves” of a red, blue or another hue, there is a uniting element all Alaskans can celebrate.<\/p>\n
“The ads are over,” Peltola told supporters at her election night party in Anchorage. “The text messages are over. The phone calls are over.”<\/p>\n
Unofficial results from 400 the state’s 402 precincts (99.5%), representing about 36.2% of registered voters, were published by the Division of Elections<\/a> as of Wednesday afternoon. The remaining ballots are generally from remote communities that tend to be more favorable to liberal-leaning candidates, which may slightly benefit Peltola and Murkowski against their more conservative opponents, as well as uncounted early and absentee ballots.<\/p>\n Additional results from first-choice ballots are expected to be released next week, with elections officials scheduled to do a final tally on Nov. 23 when second- and third-choice votes will be added for all races where no candidate has a first-choice majority.<\/p>\n The following is the status of the gubernatorial, congressional, constitutional convention, statewide legislative and local candidate races as of Wednesday:<\/p>\n Governor<\/strong><\/p>\n While Republicans nationwide fell short of expectations Tuesday, the opposite was true for Dunleavy as he appears likely to win a majority of first-choice ballots and thus avoid the “instant runoff” of ranked choice voting.<\/p>\n “We’re the only red state left on the entire West Coast because of you people,” Dunleavy told a crowd of supporters at his election night party in Anchorage.<\/p>\n The incumbent has 52.06% of the vote as of Wednesday, followed by 23.07% for Democrat Les Gara, 20.09% for independent former Gov. Bill Walker and 4.55% for Republican Charlie Pierce. Polls leading up to the election showed Dunleavy in the low- to mid-40s and Pierce with roughly 7%, making the combined total of the two Republican nearly even with the combined total of Walker and Gara as the latter two combined their campaigns in opposition to the incumbent.<\/p>\n Dunleavy’s higher first-choice total — and Pierce’s below-polls finish — may have been affected by the latter facing a sexual harassment suit filed two weeks before the election from a executive assistant to Pierce when he was the mayor of Kenai. He resigned as mayor in August, and the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly subsequently revealed a credible harassment complaint against him was made in July.<\/p>\n