Various outlets have recently stated that former Republican Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has officially advanced to the general election for the state’s sole House race.
Republican Nick Begich, along with another candidate, is also slated to advance along with Democrat Mary Peltola to make the state’s ranked-choice ballot.
“As we wrap up the first phase of a wild and crazy election season, I would like to thank these wonderful supporters for placing their trust in me to be a fierce and unapologetic advocate for the interests of all Alaskans! I promise I won’t let you down,” Palin stated in a release sent out in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
“I will be honored to fight for Alaska against the ever-growing corruption in Washington, D.C. I’m especially grateful to everyone who volunteered to help campaign – you guys are the happy warriors who make campaigning fun, and it’s an honor working with you. I know you’ll have the stamina to stick with me on the campaign trail through November,” she went on.
The House race and a special election were set out side by side as part of the Alaska ballot from this past Tuesday as part of a recent special election to replace the rest of the remainder of Rep. Don Young’s (R-AK) term. This all kicked off with the passing of Young back in March at the age of 88.
Young first took a seat in Congress back in 1973, marking him as the longest-serving member of the House.
The special election ballot came in the wake of a June special election primary that sported a total of 48 contenders for the state’s only seat in the House. Palin’s struggle to make it back into politics after her 13-year break has led to her taking a spot as one of the final Republicans to stand next to one Democrat to face off in Tuesday’s ranked-choice vote.
As of writing, the winner of the recent ranked-choice special election is not yet clear. The finalized results will not be cemented until as late as August 31st.
This use of the ranked-choice system is a first for the state. The voters in Alaska approved this particular method via a ballot measure in 2020.
To go along with the advancement of Palin, both Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski and GOP challenger Kelly Tshibaka are slated to make it through to the November ballot. The pair of leaders are among the top four that are set to advance among the 18 primary candidates of the race.