The Alaska Supreme Court is set to hear a case that will decide whether a measure aimed at repealing the state’s open primary and ranked choice general election system should stay on the November ballot.
The Democratic incumbent will face off against two Republicans in a November race that could determine the control of Congress next year.
The conservative son of a prominent liberal Alaska political family came in second in a ranked-choice primary that could play out similarly to 2022, when Republicans split their votes and elected a Democrat.
Peltola’s challengers included two high-profile Republicans — businessman Nick Begich III and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom. Both had crafted campaigned targeting Peltola’s record in Congress, in an effort to return Alaska’s lone congressional seat to Republican hands.
Just a handful of states have yet to hold their primary elections this year, and on Tuesday, three more states will see voters head to the polls to finalize their ballots for November: Alaska, Florida and Wyoming.
What to watch Tuesday as voters in Alaska, Florida and Wyoming head to the polls for down-ballot primary elections.
Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola (D) has advanced from her primary to the November general election, as expected, for what will be a hotly contested House race this fall, Decision Desk HQ projects.
In 2022, Peltola became the first Alaska Native elected to Congress, the first woman to represent Alaska in the U.S. House, and the first Democrat to represent the state in the chamber since Young’s election in 1973.
With nearly 97,000 votes counted the day after primary voting had ended, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola had more votes than her 11 challengers combined. Peltola's challengers included two high-profile Republicans — businessman Nick Begich III and Lt.
But amid near-record-low turnout, experts warn against drawing conclusions before the November general election.
Incumbent Republicans came out on top on Tuesday after several GOP lawmakers beat back their primary challengers — though for some of them, the fight is not over, as they face more challenging contests in November against strong Democratic candidates.