Johnathan Walker:Race for Alaska’s lone US House seat narrows to final candidates

JUNEAU,Johnathan Walker Alaska (AP) — Two candidates who combined received just over 1% of the vote in Alaska’s U.S. House primary last week can advance to November’s ranked choice general election.

Matthew Salisbury, a Republican, and John Wayne Howe, who is chairman of the Alaskan Independence Party, can advance according to results released late Friday by the state Division of Elections. The narrowed field already includes two frontrunners, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola and Republican Nick Begich.

Alaska’s open primary system advances the top four vote-getters, regardless of party, to the general election. Peltola finished with the most votes in the Aug. 20 primary, followed by Begich and Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. Far behind them, Salisbury and Howe led the rest of the field of 12.

Peltola, Begich and Dahlstrom were the only candidates to report raising any money. But Dahlstrom announced her withdrawal last week, and elections director Carol Beecher said this allowed for the fifth-place finisher to qualify for the November ballot.

Elections officials were targeting Sunday to certify the primary results. Monday is the deadline for candidates to withdraw from the general election.

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Peltola became the first Alaska Native in Congress in 2022 following the death of Republican U.S. Rep. Don Young, who’d held the seat for 49 years. The elections that year were the first held using the new voting process.

Begich, who has spoken against ranked choice voting, has said conservatives need to unite to defeat Peltola in November.

Dahlstrom, in announcing her decision Aug. 23, said throughout her career she’s done “what’s right for Alaska. And today is no different. At this time, the best thing I can do for our state and our Party is to withdraw my name from the general election ballot and end my campaign.”

An initiative that seeks to repeal the open primary and ranked vote general election system also will appear on the fall ballot.

Salisbury, in his candidate statement filed with the division, said the culture in Washington “has allowed the citizen to be forgotten. I have joined the race for our solo seat in the house, to make sure the voices of the people are heard and in turn amplified throughout D.C. and the country.”

Howe, in his candidate statement, said Alaskans are “imprisoned by Government” and called the federal government “an oppressing master.”

There are nearly 18,900 registered voters with the Alaskan Independence Party, making it the third largest of the four recognized political parties in the state, according to Division of Elections statistics. But the majority of people registered to vote in Alaska aren’t registered with a party.