JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Twenty-two candidates are running in the August regular primary for Alaska’s U.S. House seat, with nine dropping out by a recent withdrawal deadline.
The three candidates in the August special election for the seat are also running. They are Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich and Democrat Mary Peltola.
The Aug. 16 special election will coincide with the regular primary. The winner of the ranked choice special election will serve the remainder of the late Republican Rep. Don Young’s term, which lasts until January, while the top four candidates from the regular primary are to advance to the November general election. The winner of the November election, also a ranked choice contest, will serve a new, two-year term, starting in early 2023.
The Alaska Supreme Court ruled Saturday that Republican Tara Sweeney, who finished fifth in the June 11 House special primary, would not advance to the special election after the candidate who finished third, independent Al Gross, withdrew. The court affirmed a lower court ruling that agreed with a decision by the Division of Elections director that Gross withdrew too late for Sweeney to replace him on the special election ballot.
Sweeney is running in the regular primary.
Most of the others running in the regular primary are relative unknowns.
The deadline to withdraw from the primary was Saturday. Candidates who withdrew include Gross, Democrats Adam Wool and Christopher Constant, Republicans John Coghill and Josh Revak and independent Jeff Lowenfels.
The overall field is much smaller than the 48 candidates who ran in the special primary.