2024 Alaska Senate election

2024 Alaska Senate elections
November 5, 2024
10 of 20 seats in the Alaska Senate
11 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Leader Gary Stevens
(coalition) 		None
(coalition) 		Shelley Hughes
(minority)
Party Republican Democratic Republican
Leader since January 17, 2023
Leader's seat C District
Seats before 8 9 3
Seats after 6 9 6
Seat change 2 3

     Democratic coalition hold
     Republican coalition hold
     Minority Republican caucus gain
     No election
Senate President before election

Gary Stevens
Republican (coalition)

Elected Senate President

Gary Stevens
Republican (coalition)

Elections in Alaska
Federal government
Presidential elections
Presidential primaries and caucuses
Democratic
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2024
U.S. Senate elections
U.S. House of Representatives elections
State government
Statewide elections
Gubernatorial elections
Senate elections
House of Representatives elections
Ballot measures
Anchorage
Mayoral elections
Municipal propositions
Borough elections

The 2024 Alaska Senate elections took place on November 5, 2024, with the primary elections being held on August 20, 2024. State senators serve four-year terms in the Alaska State Senate, with half of the seats up for election every two years.[1]

Background

Republicans maintained control of the state senate from the 2012 election until the 2022 midterms, after which a coalition government between 8 of the 11 Republicans and all 9 Democrats was formed.[2] The 3 remaining Republicans did not join the coalition; none of their seats are up for election. Some majority-coalition Republicans faced conservative opponents who vowed not to join the caucus, such as Jesse Bjorkman and Kelly Merrick, who face challenges from State Representatives Ben Carpenter and Ken McCarty respectively.[3] David Wilson also faces a conservative challenger in Mat-Su Assemblymember Robert Yundt for joining the majority caucus.[4]

Bjorkman and Merrick ultimately prevailed after ranked-choice votes were tabulated, while Yundt defeated Wilson outright. In the open R District held by coalition Republican Click Bishop, non-coalition Republican state representative Mike Cronk won. The bipartisan coalition thus lost two seats but held its supermajority.[5]

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
Sabato's Crystal Ball[6] Lean Coal. October 23, 2024

Overview

Primary elections

2024 Alaska State Senate election
Primary election – August 20, 2024[7]
Party Votes % Candidates Advancing to general Seats contesting
Republican 26,810 51.06 16 12 7
Democratic 20,988 39.97 8 8 8
Undeclared 4,056 7.72 2 2 2
Independence 653 1.24 2 1 1
Totals 52,507 100.00 28 23 —

General election

Party Leader Before After Change
Coalition Gary Stevens 17[a] 14[b] 3
Republican Shelley Hughes 3 6 3
Total 20 20

Summary of results

District Incumbent Party Elected Senator Party
B Jesse Kiehl Dem Jesse Kiehl Dem
D Jesse Bjorkman Rep Jesse Bjorkman Rep
F James D. Kaufman Rep James D. Kaufman[c] Rep
H Matt Claman Dem Matt Claman Dem
J Forrest Dunbar Dem Forrest Dunbar Dem
L Kelly Merrick Rep Kelly Merrick Rep
N David Wilson Rep Robert Yundt Rep
P Scott Kawasaki Dem Scott Kawasaki Dem
R Click Bishop† Rep Mike Cronk Rep
T Donny Olson Dem Donny Olson Dem

Retirements

  1. R District: Click Bishop is retiring.[8]

Detailed results

  • Source for general election first-choice votes[9]
  • Source for primary results[7]
  • Certified candidate list[10]

District B

Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jesse Kiehl (incumbent) 6,256 100.0
Total votes 6,256 100.0
General election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jesse Kiehl (incumbent) 15,508 96.51
Write-in 561 3.49
Total votes 16,069 100.0
Democratic hold
Coalition hold

District D

Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Coalition Republican Jesse Bjorkman (incumbent) 2,924 44.3
Republican Ben Carpenter 2,660 40.3
Democratic Tina Wegener 845 12.8
Independence Andy Cizek (withdrew) 172 2.6
Total votes 6,601 100.0
General election[11]
Party Candidate First choice Round 1 Round 2
Votes % Transfer Votes % Transfer Votes %
Coalition Republican Jesse Bjorkman 9,234 47.82% +23 9,257 47.92% +545 9,802 54.71%
Republican Ben Carpenter 7,848 40.64% +17 7,865 40.71% +249 8,114 45.29%
Democratic Tina Wegener 2,182 11.3% +14 2,196 11.37% -2,196 Eliminated
Write-in 47 0.24% -47 Eliminated
Total votes 19,311 19,318 17,916
Blank or inactive ballots 820 +1,402 2,222
Republican hold
Coalition hold

District F

Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Janice Park 2,737 48.8
Coalition Republican James D. Kaufman (incumbent) 2,563 45.7
Republican Harold Borbridge 307 5.5
Total votes 5,607 100.0
General election[12][13]
Party Candidate First choice Round 1 Round 2
Votes % Transfer Votes % Transfer Votes %
Coalition Republican James D. Kaufman 8,147 47.9% +33 8,180 48.1% +498 8,678 52.8%
Democratic Janice Park 7,646 45.0% +11 7,657 45.0% +87 7,744 47.2%
Republican Harold Borbridge 1,178 6.9% +6 1,184 7.0% - Eliminated
Write-in 35 0.21% - Eliminated
Total votes 17,006 17,021 16,422
Blank or inactive ballots 946 +599 1,545
Republican hold
Coalition hold

District H

Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Matt Claman (incumbent) 4,036 60.1
Republican Thomas McKay (withdrew) 1,393 20.7
Republican Liz Vazquez 1,287 19.2
Total votes 6,716 100.0
General election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Matt Claman (incumbent) 9,924 55.24
Republican Liz Vazquez 7,989 44.47
Write-in 53 0.3
Total votes 17,966 100.0
Democratic hold
Coalition hold

District J

Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Forrest Dunbar (incumbent) 2,253 72.3
Independent Cheronda Smith[d] 863 27.7
Total votes 3,116 100.0
General election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Forrest Dunbar (incumbent) 7,292 69.83
Independent Cheronda Smith[d] 3,022 28.94
Write-in 129 1.24
Total votes 10,443 100.0
Democratic hold
Coalition hold

District L

Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Coalition Republican Kelly Merrick (incumbent) 2,332 33.9
Republican Jared Goecker 2,247 32.7
Democratic Lee Hammermeister 1,003 14.6
Republican Ken McCarty (withdrew) 779 11.3
Republican Sharon Jackson (withdrew) 513 7.5
Total votes 6,874 100.0

After the primary, McCarty withdrew from the race and endorsed Goecker. This would normally mean that Jackson, the fifth place finisher, would move up, but she also withdrew and endorsed Goecker.[14]

General election[15][12]
Party Candidate First choice Round 1 Round 2
Votes % Transfer Votes % Transfer Votes %
Coalition Republican Kelly Merrick 9,050 46.3% +42 9,092 46.5% +800 9,892 55.5%
Republican Jared Goecker 7,685 39.3% +13 7,698 39.4% +241 7,939 44.5%
Democratic Lee Hammermeister 2,754 14.1% +16 2,770 14.2% -2,770 Eliminated
Write-in 51 0.3% -51 Eliminated
Total votes 19,540 19,560 17,831
Blank or inactive ballots 780 +1,729 2,509
Republican hold
Coalition hold

District N

Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Coalition Republican David Wilson (incumbent) 1,724 41.4
Republican Robert Yundt 1,360 32.7
Republican Stephen Wright 1,080 25.9
Total votes 4,164 100.0
General election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert Yundt 8,163 52.69
Coalition Republican David S. Wilson (incumbent) 4,525 29.21
Republican Stephen Wright 2,619 16.9
Write-in 186 1.2
Total votes 15,493 100.0
Republican hold
Minority Caucus gain from Coalition

District P

Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Leslie Hajdukovich 1,764 51.35
Democratic Scott Kawasaki (incumbent) 1,671 48.65
Total votes 3,435 100.0
General election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Scott Kawasaki (incumbent) 5,913 51.39
Republican Leslie Hajdukovich 5,561 48.33
Write-in 32 0.28
Total votes 11,506 100.0
Democratic hold
Coalition hold

District R

Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Cronk 3,305 43.8
Independent Savannah Fletcher[d] 3,193 42.3
Republican James Squyres (withdrew) 572 7.6
Independence Robert Williams 481 6.4
Total votes 7,551 100.0
General election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Cronk 9,387 51.84
Independent Savannah Fletcher[d] 7,509 41.47
Independence Robert Williams 1,157 6.39
Write-in 56 0.31
Total votes 18,109 100.0
Republican hold
Minority Caucus gain from Coalition

District T

Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Donny Olson (incumbent) 2,187 100
General election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Donny Olson (incumbent) 6,273 97.63
Write-in 152 2.37
Total votes 6,425 100.0
Democratic hold
Coalition hold

Notes

  1. ^ Consists of 9 Democrats and 8 Republicans.
  2. ^ Consists of 9 Democrats and 5 Republicans.
  3. ^ After the election Sen. Kaufman left the majority coalition to caucus with the minority Republicans.
  4. ^ a b c d Listed on the ballot as "Undeclared"

See also

References

  1. ^ "Alaska State Senate Elections, 2024". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  2. ^ Rosen, Yereth. "In new bipartisan Alaska Senate majority of 17, members vow compromise and consensus". No. 29 November 2023. Alaska Beacon. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Board, Riley (November 21, 2021). "Three file for Central Peninsula state Senate seat". KDLL. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  4. ^ Bradner, Tim (June 8, 2024). "Mat-Su's legislative races may shift people, but not party affiliation and philosophy". Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  5. ^ Samuels, Iris; Maguire, Sean (November 20, 2024). "Ranked choice voting and open primaries retained in Alaska after final ballot count". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  6. ^ Jacobson, Louis (October 23, 2024). "The State Legislatures: Several Key Battleground Chambers Remain Toss-ups". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "2024 Primary Election Official Results" (PDF). Alaska Division of Elections. September 1, 2024. Archived from the original on December 23, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  8. ^ Maguire, Sean; Samuels, Iris (May 30, 2024). "Alaska Rep. Dan Ortiz, Sen. Click Bishop say they won't run for reelection". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  9. ^ "State of Alaska 2024 GENERAL ELECTION Election Summary Report November 5, 2024 OFFICIAL RESULTS" (PDF). Alaska Division of Elections. November 30, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  10. ^ "Candidates". Alaska Division of Elections. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  11. ^ "Senate District D RCV Detailed Report" (PDF). Alaska Division of Elections. November 30, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "State of Alaska 2024 General Election Election Summary Report November 5, 2024 Unofficial Results" (PDF). elections.alaska.gov. State of Alaska. November 30, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  13. ^ "RCV Detailed Report General Election State of Alaska November 05, 2024 Senate District F" (PDF). elections.alaska.gov. State of Alaska. November 30, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  14. ^ Kirch, Steve (August 28, 2024). "Ken McCarty drops out of Eagle River Senate race, endorses incumbent's challenger". KTUU-TV. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  15. ^ "RCV Detailed Report General Election State of Alaska November 05, 2024 Senate District L" (PDF). elections.alaska.gov. State of Alaska. November 30, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.