Politics & Campaigns
RSSAlaska News tracks coverage of state and federal political campaigns, including gubernatorial and Senate races, candidate positions on issues like the PFD.
Sitka will test its ballot machines in public before the October election
Sitka residents can watch the ballot-counting machines get tested Sept. 3. The city's pages don't say whether its equipment matches the state's.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Ketchikan voters decide who owns the library and who pays for it
Ketchikan voters decide Oct. 6 whether the borough takes over the public library and whether people outside city limits pay twice as much for it.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Mat-Su voters will decide whether the borough can build roads anywhere
Mat-Su voters decide Nov. 3 whether the borough can buy right-of-way and build roads anywhere in its boundaries, across road service area lines.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Hill runs second in Alaska's unofficial U.S. House primary count
Independent Bill Hill, a Bristol Bay fisherman, finished second in Alaska's U.S. House primary with 31% and advances to November against incumbent Republican Nick Begich.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Questioned ballots from Alaska's primary count only after a bipartisan board verifies each voter
Questioned ballots count only if a bipartisan board confirms the voter was qualified. That board is reviewing now, with one Senate slot 20 votes apart.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Supreme Court lets Trump's mail-voting order advance, but Alaska's rules are unchanged for now
The Supreme Court let Trump's mail-voting order advance but didn't rule it legal. Alaska's voting is unchanged for now; a separate order blocks the key piece.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read
Dan Sullivan endorsed Dan Sullivan over Dan Sullivan in Alaska's Senate race
Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan endorsed Sen. Dan Sullivan in a race that also features Daniel Sullivan Jr. He signed it "the OG Dan Sullivan."
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A group backing Begich for governor has spent nothing, with a website waiting for the general election
A new outside group backing Tom Begich for governor has spent nothing so far, its only financial trace a $1,116 debt for a website that wasn't even live yet.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Ketchikan's Assembly has fewer candidates than seats, with four days to file
Ketchikan's Borough Assembly has two candidates for three seats with four days left to file. The School Board race has four candidates for two seats.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
A fight over Alaska's elections, including over outside money, is itself funded almost entirely from outside Alaska
The fight over Alaska's ranked choice voting — including over outside dark money — is itself funded almost entirely from outside Alaska, on both sides.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Peltola out-raised and out-spent Sullivan, and enters the general election with less cash
Peltola and Sullivan both advanced from Alaska's primary and will meet in November's ranked-choice general. Peltola raised more; Sullivan has more cash on hand.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Kamala Harris tried to help Mary Peltola, and both Alaska campaigns pushed back
Kamala Harris raised money for Mary Peltola. Peltola's campaign said it didn't ask, and Sullivan's campaign attacked Harris rather than Peltola.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Peltola's first general election ad, out a day after the primary, runs against her own party.
The day after advancing from the primary, Peltola's campaign announced a TV ad about breaking with Democrats, citing her low party loyalty as a credential.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Alaska primary: who advanced and what passed, in unofficial results
Peltola and Sullivan head to November, Begich leads the House field, four of 17 governor tickets advance, and donation caps passed with 71%
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Sealaska endorses Peltola for U.S. Senate
Sealaska endorsed Peltola for U.S. Senate, but the association of the 12 Alaska Native regional corporations' leaders backed her opponent, Sen. Dan Sullivan.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
First Election Day Tapes from two statistically significant Anchorage precincts put Kreiss-Tomkins and Begich ahead of the field
All of our analysis these were the precinct that most closely aligned with statewide results, so Alaska news went out to get that information. This is not the statewide results.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A federal civil rights body is examining whether Alaska's ranked choice voting makes it harder for some to vote
A federal civil rights body is examining whether ranked choice voting hurts some Alaska voters, with briefings starting Aug. 26 as repeal returns to the ballot.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Alaskans vote today in a primary narrowing the governor, Senate and House races
Alaskans vote today in a primary narrowing crowded races for governor, Senate and House to four each — 17 governor tickets, two Dan Sullivans on the ballot.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Most political money reported before Alaska's primary is aimed at a November ballot measure
The big independent-spending reports before Alaska's primary are mostly not about Tuesday. Most of the money is for November's ranked-choice repeal fight.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A progressive firm's Alaska poll: two-thirds worry about the basics, and a simulated Senate race favors Peltola
A progressive firm's Alaska poll finds two-thirds of voters worried about affording the basics, and a modeled Senate race favoring Peltola over Sullivan.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Alaska's ranked-choice fight returns to the Supreme Court, months before a repeat repeal vote
Alaska's ranked-choice voting returns to the Supreme Court next week, the latest round in a years-long fight, with a repeal already on the November ballot.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Three Alaska Native groups demand answers on rural election staffing before Tuesday's primary
Three Alaska Native groups are demanding the state account for unfilled rural election-worker jobs and pay overdue per diem before Tuesday's primary, citing past precincts that never opened.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read
Thursday is the last day to file for Bethel city council
Thursday at 4 p.m. is the last chance to file for one of four Bethel city council seats on the Oct. 6 ballot. Voters have until Sept. 6 to register.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Filing closes at 3 p.m. Monday with no publicly known candidate for 12 Kodiak Island Borough seats
Filing closes Monday at 3 p.m. for 16 Kodiak Island Borough seats on the October ballot, but no candidates have publicly filed for 12 of them, including all 10 service area board positions.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read
One donor supplied 99 percent of the non-individual money behind Alaska's ranked choice repeal
Aurora Action Network gave $1.83 million to Alaska's ranked-choice repeal campaign, over 99 percent of its non-individual funding, but the group's true funding sources don't appear in public records.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read
Two days out, AI chatbots, betting markets and polls each name a different Alaska frontrunner
Two days before Alaska's primary, AI chatbots, betting markets and polls each name a different governor frontrunner, a hidden AI signal a tracker surfaces.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Mayor LaFrance faces a campaign-finance hearing over her 2024 expenditure reports
Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance faces an APOC hearing Wednesday over how her 2024 campaign reported spending. A resident alleges 89 flawed reports.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
1,900 Alaskans flagged as 'inactive non-citizen' can still vote Tuesday
About 1,900 Alaska voters remain flagged as inactive non-citizens heading into Tuesday's primary, and the state will not clear those flags before the election.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A pro-Republican group discloses small ad debts for two House candidates, listing the creditor at its treasurer's address
A pro-Republican group's pre-primary filing disclosed $728 in ad debts for two House candidates, listing the creditor at its treasurer's own address.
by Lucas Brown1mo ago2 min read
Trump takes aim at Alaska's U.S. Senate Primary Election
Trump waded into Alaska's Senate primary, telling voters which of two similarly named Dan Sullivans to pick — flexing GOP-base clout in a state he carried.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read
A Chamber endorsement for Begich, labor's backing for Hill
Nick Begich's campaign says he's won the U.S. Chamber's endorsement, days after Speaker Johnson visited; challenger Bill Hill has the state AFL-CIO's backing.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Judicial council urges no vote on two Kenai judges in November
Alaska Judicial Council recommends voters reject two Kenai judges on November ballot. • Judge Kelly Lawson failed temperament and integrity standards; lacked patience with court staff. • Judge Martin Fallon failed integrity and diligence standards; signed false affidavits about late decisions.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min read
A majority of Kodiak's assembly is up for election this fall
A majority of the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly — four of seven seats — is up in the Oct. 6 election, and candidates have until Monday to file.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Alaska Democrats ask APOC to recommend removing House District 22 candidate from ballot
An Anchorage House candidate's ballot spot is in dispute over a blank-then-amended financial disclosure — now a question for the state ethics commission.
by Lucas Brown1mo ago3 min read
Alaskans vote Tuesday on restoring campaign contribution limits
Alaskans vote Tuesday on Ballot Measure 1, which would cap campaign donations that have been uncapped since a 2021 court ruling struck down the old $500 limit.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A new group formed to back Tom Begich for governor, days before the primary
A new independent group formed to back Tom Begich's run for governor, eight days before Alaska's primary. It hasn't yet reported raising or spending anything.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min read
A retired Wasilla man is spending $11,000 to oppose a candidate for governor
A retired Wasilla man is spending about $11,000 to oppose gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson before Tuesday's primary. No law caps the total.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min read
Fairbanks voters will weigh banning voting machines for hand counts
Fairbanks voters decide Oct. 6 whether to ban voting machines and hand-count all ballots — an initiative its backers call cost-saving and its critics contest.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Complaints against Wilson and Taylor governor campaigns question donation source, not size
Former Anchorage Assembly chair filed complaints against two GOP governor candidates. Wilson campaign received $25,000 donation listed as both company and individual, unclear which is true. Taylor campaign failed to describe $147,000 in consultant and lawyer payments beyond listing them as retainers.
by Lucas Brownadded 1mo ago2 min read
Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche files to run again
Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche, a former Soldotna mayor and state Senate President, filed to run for another term ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
