US primaries: All you need to know about Alaska elections

Alaska is set to hold its primary elections on August 16, 2022, alongside the deeply Republican state of Wyoming. Alaska’s voting comes with a twist, which may just save Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski’s re-election bid.

Similar to the “top two” voting format, Alaska has a format that advances the top four vote-getters to the general elections regardless of party affiliation. Tuesday’s ballot features a House primary race and one for the US Senate in which Trump’s influence may not prove decisive.

Also Read: US primaries: Donald Trump critics Liz Cheney, Lisa Murkowski face re-election

Sarah Palin, a former Alaska governor and the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, is listed on the ballot two times. Palin is contesting a special election to complete the term of Don Young, who died earlier this year. Endorsed by Trump, Palin finished first among 48 candidates to qualify for a special election.  

Palin is now trying to secure the win against the No. 2 and 4 finishers, Republican Nick Begich and Democrat Mary Peltola. The third-place vote-getter pulled out of the race after the special primary.

In a recent address to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Palin decried the new voting system, saying, “It is bizarre, it’s convoluted, it’s complicated. And it results in voter suppression.”

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is seeking reelection to a seat she has held for nearly 20 years. She faces 18 opponents — the most prominent of which are Republican Kelly Tshibaka, who has been endorsed by Trump.

Also Read: US primaries: All you need to know about Wyoming elections

Murkowski, the state’s senior senator, is a Trump critic who voted to convict him at his impeachment trial following the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. The former president has railed against Murkowski, including at a rally with Tshibaka and Palin last month in Anchorage.

The US House of Representatives primary in Alaska, meanwhile, has 22 candidates, including Palin, Begich and Peltola.