Alaska_State_Senate_election,_2020
2020 Alaska Senate election
2020 elections in the US state of Alaska
The 2020 Alaska Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 2020 United States elections. Voters in Alaska elected state senators in 11 of the state's 20 senate districts – the usual ten plus one special election. State senators serve four-year terms in the Alaska Senate, with half seats up for election every two years. Primary elections on August 18, 2020, determined which candidates appeared on the general election ballot on November 3, 2020.
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11 of 20 seats in the Alaska Senate 11 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Results: Democratic hold Republican hold No election | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Following the previous election in 2018, Republicans had control of the Alaska Senate with 13 seats to Democrats' 7 seats. One Democrat caucused with the Republicans, giving them a governing majority of 14 seats.
| Affiliation | Party (shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Democratic | Vacant | ||
| Before election | 13 | 7[lower-alpha 1] | 20 | 0 |
| After election | 13 | 7 | 20 | 0 |
| Change |  |
|
| |
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[1] | Lean R | October 21, 2020 |
| 2020 Alaska Senate election General election — November 3, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats not up | Seats up | Candidates | Before | After | +/– | |
| Republican | 104,467 | 57.84 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 13 | | |
| Democratic | 39,447 | 21.84 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 7 | | |
| Independent | 26,286 | 14.55 | — | — | 7[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 0 | | |
| Alaska Independence | 6,753 | 3.74 | — | — | 1 | — | — | | |
| Write-ins | 2,650 | 1.47 | — | — | — | — | — | | |
| Libertarian | 998 | 0.55 | — | — | 1 | — | — | | |
| Total | 180,601 | 100 | 11 | 9 | 24 | 20 | 20 | | |
| District | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| District H | Democratic | 15.7% |
| District M | Republican | 15.5% |
| District N | Republican | 4.1% |
In primary
Two Republican incumbents lost renomination.
- N District: Senate President Cathy Giessel lost renomination to Roger Holland.
- B District: John Coghill lost renomination to Robert Myers Jr.
| District | Incumbent | Party | Elected Senator | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | John Coghill | Rep | Robert Myers Jr. | Rep | ||
| D | David S. Wilson | Rep | David S. Wilson | Rep | ||
| F | Shelley Hughes | Rep | Shelley Hughes | Rep | ||
| H | Bill Wielechowski | Dem | Bill Wielechowski | Dem | ||
| J | Tom Begich | Dem | Tom Begich[lower-alpha 3] | Dem | ||
| L | Natasha von Imhof | Rep | Natasha von Imhof | Rep | ||
| M (special) | Josh Revak | Rep | Josh Revak | Rep | ||
| N | Cathy Giessel | Rep | Roger Holland | Rep | ||
| P | Gary Stevens | Rep | Gary Stevens | Rep | ||
| R | Bert Stedman | Rep | Bert Stedman | Rep | ||
| T | Donny Olson | Dem | Donny Olson | Dem | ||
|
District B • District D • District F • District H • District J • District L • District M (special) • District N • District P • District R • District T |
District B
- Republican primary
John Coghill, the incumbent since 2009, was facing opposition in the Republican primary from Robert Myers Jr., who announced his candidacy for the seat on July 10.[2] Trailing by 14 votes in the official count, incumbent Coghill asked for a recount,[3] but, when the lead remained the same after the recount, Coghill conceded defeat and Myers was declared the winner.[4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert Myers Jr. | 1,739 | 50.2 | |
| Republican | John Coghill (incumbent) | 1,725 | 49.8 | |
| Total votes | 3,462 | 100.0 | ||
- General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert Myers Jr. | 10,187 | 57.1 | |
| Independent | Marna Sanford | 6,610 | 37.0 | |
| Independent | Evan Eads (unofficially withdrew) | 986 | 5.5 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 67 | 0.4 | |
| Total votes | 17,867 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District D
David S. Wilson, the incumbent since 2017, was facing opposition in the Republican primary from five other candidates.[5] Thomas Lamb, who filed as a nonpartisan on the Democratic primary ticket, qualified automatically for the general election.[6]
- Republican primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David S. Wilson (incumbent) | 1,734 | 33.9 | |
| Republican | Stephen Wright | 1,325 | 25.9 | |
| Republican | Loy "Santa" Thurman | 1,134 | 22.2 | |
| Republican | Bee Rupright | 469 | 9.2 | |
| Republican | Chandra McCain-Finch | 340 | 6.7 | |
| Republican | Huhnkie Lee | 110 | 2.2 | |
| Total votes | 5,112 | 100.0 | ||
- General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David S. Wilson (incumbent) | 12,600 | 69.2 | |
| Nonpartisan | James D. "Dan" Mayfield | 2,618 | 14.4 | |
| Independent | Thomas Lamb[lower-alpha 4] | 2,613 | 14.3 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 386 | 2.1 | |
| Total votes | 18,217 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District F
Republican Shelley Hughes, the incumbent since 2017, and Independent Stephany Jeffers were the only two candidates to file for this seat. They both advanced unopposed to the general election.[7] Jeffers withdrew her candidacy on August 31 and was replaced by fellow Independent Jim Cooper.[8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Hughes (incumbent) | 14,751 | 71.3 | |
| Independent | Jim Cooper[lower-alpha 4] | 4,904 | 23.7 | |
| Libertarian | Gavin Christiansen | 998 | 4.8 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 29 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 20,682 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District H
Democrat Bill Wielechowski, the incumbent since 2007, and Republican Madeline Gaiser were the only two candidates to file for this seat. They both advanced unopposed to the general election.[9]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Wielechowski (incumbent) | 7,297 | 57.8 | |
| Republican | Madeline Gaiser | 5,318 | 42.1 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 19 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 12,634 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District J
Democrat Tom Begich, the incumbent since 2017, was the only candidate to file for this seat. He ran unopposed in the general election.[9]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Begich (incumbent) | 9,235 | 92.6 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 734 | 7.4 | |
| Total votes | 9,969 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District L
- Republican primary
Natasha von Imhof, the incumbent since 2016, was facing opposition in the Republican primary from challenger Stephen Duplantis.[10] Roselynn Cacy, the only Democrat to file, qualified automatically for the general election.[9] Independent candidate Jeff Landfield withdrew his candidacy on August 31.[11] Republican primary loser Stephen Duplantis announced intentions to register as a write-in candidate.[8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Natasha von Imhof (incumbent) | 2,162 | 53.5 | |
| Republican | Stephen Duplantis | 1,882 | 46.5 | |
| Total votes | 4,044 | 100.0 | ||
- General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Natasha von Imhof (incumbent) | 10,203 | 59.7 | |
| Democratic | Roselynn Cacy | 6,706 | 39.3 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 169 | 1.0 | |
| Total votes | 17,078 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District M (special)
After the death of Sen. Chris Birch in August 2019,[12] Governor Mike Dunleavy appointed state representative Josh Revak to the Senate the following month. Revak was running as the incumbent and was seeking his first full term. He was challenged by two candidates in the Republican primary.[13] In addition, two candidates were contesting the Democratic primary.
Democratic nominee Anita Thorne withdrew her candidacy on August 31.[8]
- Republican primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Josh Revak (incumbent) | 2,499 | 66.2 | |
| Republican | Ray Metcalfe | 911 | 24.2 | |
| Republican | Harold Borbridge | 362 | 9.6 | |
| Total votes | 3,772 | 100.0 | ||
- Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Anita Thorne | 2,732 | 87.5 | |
| Democratic | Nicholas Willie | 389 | 12.5 | |
| Total votes | 3,121 | 100.0 | ||
- General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Josh Revak (incumbent) | 10,390 | 57.6 | |
| Independent | Andy Holleman | 7,596 | 42.1 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 55 | 0.3 | |
| Total votes | 18,041 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District N
Cathy Giessel, the incumbent since 2011 and the President of the Senate since January 2019, was facing opposition in the Republican primary from DOT&PF measurement scientist Roger Holland.[14] Additionally, two candidates were contesting the Democratic primary.[15]
- Republican primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Roger Holland | 3,686 | 64.2 | |
| Republican | Cathy Giessel (incumbent) | 2,055 | 35.8 | |
| Total votes | 5,741 | 100.0 | ||
- Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Carl Johnson | 2,247 | 54.1 | |
| Democratic | Lynette Moreno Hinz | 1,907 | 45.9 | |
| Total votes | 4,154 | 100.0 | ||
- General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Roger Holland | 10,501 | 49.7 | |
| Democratic | Carl Johnson | 9,648 | 45.6 | |
| Independent | Carolyn "Care" Clift | 959 | 4.5 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 40 | 0.2 | |
| Total votes | 21,148 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District P
Gary Stevens, the incumbent since 2003, was facing opposition in the Republican primary from former state house candidate John Cox.[16] Challenger Greg Madden contested the general election on the Alaskan Independence Party ticket.[17]
- Republican primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gary Stevens (incumbent) | 2,086 | 52.9 | |
| Republican | John "Bear" Cox | 1,854 | 47.1 | |
| Total votes | 3,940 | 100.0 | ||
- General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gary Stevens (incumbent) | 12,507 | 64.7 | |
| Independence | Greg Madden | 6,753 | 34.9 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 75 | 0.4 | |
| Total votes | 19,335 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District R
- Republican primary
Bert Stedman, the incumbent since 2003, was facing opposition in the Republican primary from handyman Michael Sheldon.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bert Stedman (incumbent) | 1,926 | 63.8 | |
| Republican | Michael Sheldon | 1,092 | 36.2 | |
| Total votes | 3,018 | 100.0 | ||
- General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bert Stedman (incumbent) | 14,578 | 93.7 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 985 | 6.3 | |
| Total votes | 15,563 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District T
Donny Olson, the incumbent since 2001, was running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Two Republican candidates, Kotzebue vice-mayor Thomas Baker and Deering tribal president Calvin Moto II, challenged him for the seat.[18]
- Republican primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Thomas Baker | 674 | 60.7 | |
| Republican | Calvin Moto II | 437 | 39.3 | |
| Total votes | 1,111 | 100.0 | ||
- General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Donny Olson (incumbent) | 6,561 | 65.1 | |
| Republican | Thomas Baker | 3,432 | 34.0 | |
| Write-in | Write-ins | 91 | 0.9 | |
| Total votes | 10,084 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
- "October Overview: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- Tewksbury, Sara. "Republican Robert Myers runs for Senator John Coghill's seat". webcenterfairbanks.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Kuac, Robyne (August 31, 2020). "Trailing in Republican primary, Coghill asks for recount". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- Brooks, James (September 2, 2020). "Recount upholds 14-vote primary loss for longtime incumbent state Sen. John Coghill". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- "State of Alaska Official Sample Ballot: August 18, 2020 Alaska Republican Party Primary | House District 8" (PDF). elections.alaska.gov. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Landfield, Jeff (July 26, 2020). "The Sunday Minefield – July 26, 2020". The Alaska Landmine. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Rockey, Tim. "Candidates file for 2020 elections". Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Brooks, James (August 31, 2020). "New candidates emerge in campaigns for Alaska Legislature". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- Buxton, Matt (June 5, 2020). "It's the year of the contested primary, especially for incumbent Republicans". The Midnight Sun. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Downing, Suzanne (June 5, 2020). "Candidate Duplantis thinks 'COVID is a hoax and George Floyd didn't exist'". Must Read Alaska. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Buxton, Matt (August 31, 2020). "'It would have been an epic campaign.' Landfield withdraws from crowded Senate race". The Midnight Sun.
- "Anchorage state Sen. Chris Birch dies at 68". Anchorage Daily News. August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Brooks, James (June 21, 2020). "In Alaska primary elections, it's Republican versus Republican, with dividends as the battleground". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Downing, Suzanne (January 21, 2020). "Senate Pres. Cathy Giessel gets primary challenger". Must Read Alaska. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Thompson, John (June 2, 2020). "Here's who Alaskans will find on the August primary ballot". www.ktva.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Pacer, Megan (July 21, 2020). "John Cox makes a run at Senate District P seat". Homer News. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Pacer, Megan (July 21, 2020). "Soldotna's Greg Madden makes bid for Alaska Senate". Homer News. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Early, Wesley (June 1, 2020). "Kotzebue's Thomas Baker adds name to list of Republican challengers to Sen. Donny Olson". KOTZ Radio 720 AM. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "Alaska", Voting & Elections Toolkits
- "Alaska: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org, Oakland, CA
- "League of Women Voters of Alaska". (state affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
- Alaska at Ballotpedia