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2024 Alaska Senate election

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2024 Alaska Senate elections
← 2022 November 5, 2024 2026 →
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) 		None
(minority)
Party Republican Democratic Republican
Leader since January 17, 2023
Leader's seat C District
Seats before 8 9 3
Seats after 6 9 5
Seat change Decrease 2 Steady Increase 2

     Democratic coalition incumbent
     Republican coalition incumbent
     No election
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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

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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]

Overview

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Primary elections

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2024 Alaska State Senate election
Primary election – August 20, 2024[6]
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 —

Summary of results

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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 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

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  1. R District: Click Bishop is retiring.[7]

Detailed results

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  • Source for primary results[8]

Certified candidate list:[9]

District B

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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) 15,393 96.5
Write-in 559 3.5
Total votes 15,952 100.0
Democratic hold

District D

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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[10][11]
Party Candidate First choice Round 1 Round 2
Votes % Transfer Votes % Transfer Votes %
Coalition Republican Jesse Bjorkman 9,233 47.8% +23 9,256 47.9% +544 9,800 54.7%
Republican Ben Carpenter 7,847 40.6% +17 7,864 40.7% +249 8,113 45.3%
Democratic Tina Wegener 2,181 11.3% +14 2,195 11.36% -2,195 Eliminated
Write-in 47 0.24% -47 Eliminated
Total votes 19,308 19,315 17,913
Blank or inactive ballots 819 +1,402 2,221

District F

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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[10][12]
Party Candidate First choice Round 1 Round 2
Votes % Transfer Votes % Transfer Votes %
Coalition Republican James D. Kaufman 8,120 47.9% +33 8,153 48.0% +498 8,651 52.8%
Democratic Janice Park 7,633 45.0% +11 7,644 45.0% +87 7,731 47.2%
Republican Harold Borbridge 1,178 6.9% +6 1,184 7.0% - Eliminated
Write-in 35 0.21% - Eliminated
Total votes 16,966 16,981 16,382
Blank or inactive ballots 945 +599 1,544

District H

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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) 9,408 54.9
Republican Liz Vazquez 7,687 44.8
Write-in 46 0.3
Total votes 17,141 100.0

District J

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Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Forrest Dunbar (incumbent) 2,253 72.3
Independent Cheronda Smith[a] 863 27.7
Total votes 3,116 100.0
General election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Forrest Dunbar (incumbent) 6,830 69.5
Independent Cheronda Smith[a] 2,872 29.2
Write-in 124 1.3
Total votes 9,826 100.0
Democratic hold

District L

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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.[13]

General election[14][10]
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 7,684 39.3% +13 7,697 39.4% +241 7,938 44.5%
Democratic Lee Hammermeister 2,754 14.1% +16 2,770 14.2% - 2,770 Eliminated
Write-in 51 0.26% - 51 Eliminated
Total votes 19,539 19,559 17,830
Blank or inactive ballots 780 +1,729 2,509

District N

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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 8,136 52.7
Coalition Republican David S. Wilson (incumbent) 4,513 29.2
Republican Stephen Wright 2,608 16.9
Write-in 185 1.2
Total votes 15,442 100.0

District P

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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) 5,909 51.4
Republican Leslie Hajdukovich 5,560 48.3
Write-in 32 0.3
Total votes 11,501 100.0

District R

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Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Cronk 3,305 43.8
Independent Savannah Fletcher[a] 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 9,383 51.9
Independent Savannah Fletcher[a] 7,491 41.4
Independence Robert Williams 1,155 6.4
Write-in 57 0.3
Total votes 18,086 100.0

District T

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Nonpartisan primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Donny Olson (incumbent) 2,187 100.0
Total votes 2,187 100.0
General election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Donny Olson (incumbent) 5,193 97.5
Write-in 150 2.5
Total votes 6,063 100.0
Democratic hold

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d Listed on the ballot as "Undeclared"

See also

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References

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  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. ^ "2024 PRIMARY ELECTION OFFICAL RESULTS". Alaska Division of Elections. September 1, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "OFFICIAL RESULTS" (PDF). Alaska Division of Elections. September 1, 2024.
  9. ^ "Candidates". Alaska Division of Elections. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "State of Alaska 2024 General Election Election Summary Report November 5, 2024 Unofficial Results" (PDF). elections.alaska.gov. State of Alaska. November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  11. ^ "RCV Detailed Report General Election State of Alaska November 05, 2024 Senate District D" (PDF). elections.alaska.gov. State of Alaska. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  12. ^ "RCV Detailed Report General Election State of Alaska November 05, 2024 Senate District F" (PDF). elections.alaska.gov. State of Alaska. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  13. ^ Kirch, Steve (August 28, 2024). "Ken McCarty drops out of Eagle River Senate race, endorses incumbent's challenger". KTUU-TV. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  14. ^ "RCV Detailed Report General Election State of Alaska November 05, 2024 Senate District L" (PDF). elections.alaska.gov. State of Alaska. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
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