Murkowski had expressed confidence she would advance and earlier in the day told reporters that “what matters is that we win in November.” Tshibaka called the results “the first step in breaking the Murkowski monarchy’s control over Alaska.” Tshibaka also said she was grateful “for President Trump’s strong and unwavering support for Alaska.” A Murkowski has held the Senate seat since 1981. Lisa Murkowski, who has been in the Senate since late 2002, was preceded by her father, Frank Murkowski. Under a voter-approved election process being used for the first time in Alaska elections this year, party primaries have been eliminated and ranked-choice voting is being used in the general election. The top four vote-getters in a primary race, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election. The other two seats in the Senate race were too early to be announced. Murkowski voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial after the January 6, 2021 riot. Trump was acquitted. But he has had strong words for Murkowski, calling her “the worst” during a rally last month in Anchorage. Murkowski said that if Tshibaka derives her only strength from supporting Trump, “what does that really say about her as a candidate with what she has to offer in Alaska? Is it just that it will be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump? I don’t think all Alaskans really go for it. Not with the ones I’m talking to.” Kevin Darling, Chibaka’s campaign co-chairman, said Trump’s endorsement of Chibaka was an added bonus for him. He said Tshibaka’s commitment to business and family and her values were important to him. He expressed his frustration with Murkowski for the no-confidence vote and her support for the nomination of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. In the House primary, Democrat Mary Peltola, Palin and Republican Nick Begich advanced to the November election. It was too early for fourth place. The winner of the November race will be elected to a two-year term. Peltola, Begić and Palin were also vying in a special election to serve out the late congressman’s term. Don Young’s term, which ends early next year. Young died in March. The special election was voters’ first shot at ranked-choice voting in a statewide race. The winner of the special election may not be known until at least August 31. If successful, Peltola will be the first Alaska Native elected to the House. There were also several write-in candidates in the special election, including Republican Tara Sweeney, who was also competing in the House primary. Sweeney was assistant secretary for Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Trump administration. The special election was on one side of the ballot. the other side featured primary races for the US Senate, US House, governor and lieutenant governor, and legislative seats. Palin, in a statement Tuesday afternoon, called it “the first test case of the crazy, complicated, undesirable ranked-choice voting system.” Proponents of ranked-choice voting have said it encourages positive campaigning, but the House race has taken on a tough tone at times. Begich, a businessman from a family of prominent Democrats, has come out hard against Palin, seeking to paint her as a fame-seeker and quitter. Palin resigned during her term as governor in 2009. In a Begich ad, the narrator says that Alaska has faced “years of disasters,” including wildfires and COVID-19. “Sarah Palin is a disaster we can really avoid,” says the narrator. A narrator in one of Palin’s ads refers to Begich as “Negative Nick” and says Palin wants to serve in Congress “to carry Don Young’s torch.” Peltola, a former congressman who recently served on a committee aimed at rebuilding salmon resources in the Kuskokwim River, has been described as a consensus builder. She said one thing that would help her be a good spokesperson is that “she’s not a millionaire. I’m just like any other regular Alaskan, and I understand firsthand the financial struggles that Alaskans face. My priorities are the priorities of everyday Alaskans.” In a statement early Wednesday, he said while the results of the special election won’t be known for some time, “we’re moving on to the general election. We’re going to build on that momentum and build a winnable Alaskan coalition in November.” In the Alaska governor’s race, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy advanced, as did former Gov. Bill Walker, an independent, and Democrat Les Gara. It was too early for fourth place. Dunleavy and his companion, Nancy Dahlstrom, said in a statement that “this is just the beginning of the fight. We’ll be digging into all the numbers as they come in over the next few days to find out where we should base our campaign, and we look forward to reaching every Alaskan and winning their vote between now and November.” Walker runs with Heidi Drygas and Gara with Jessica Cook.
