The results of the Alaska Primary Election were officially certified on Sunday, and aside from a few candidates who have since dropped out, most local races have remained largely unchanged.
In Senate D, Republican Sen. Jesse Bjorkman and Republican Rep. Ben Carpenter—who opted to vacate his House District 8 seat earlier this year to make a run at Bjorkman’s Senate seat—each gained several hundred votes between election night and the certification. Bjorkman’s lead over Carpenter is now 4% of the total ballots cast, up from 2.6% on election night.
Bjorkman received 2,924 votes (44.30%); Carpenter garnered 2,660 votes (40.30%).
Tina Wegener, a Democratic candidate from Sterling, took 845 votes (12.80%), while Alaska Independence Party candidate Andy Cizek, who has since dropped out of the race, received 172 votes (2.61%).
In the most heavily contested race, House District 6, incumbent Republican Rep. Sarah Vance holds an edge over her challengers after receiving 1,998 votes (43.23%). Nonpartisan candidate Brent Johnson follows with 1,569 votes (33.95%). Challenger Alana Greear received 790 votes (17.09%), but has since announced her withdrawal from the race, giving Johnson her endorsement. With Greear’s votes, Johnson would overtake Vance, at least in primary votes, with 51% of the total.
Republican Dawson Slaughter garnered 265 votes (5.73%). He remains in the race.
The closest race after the primaries is in Rep. Carpenter’s District, where two newcomers are vying for the soon-to-be vacant seat. In House District 8, Republican Bill Elam, a sitting Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly member, trails John Hillyer by just 54 votes. Hillyer has 1,652 votes (50.83%), while Elam has 1,598 votes (49.17%).
House District 7 also saw minimal change since primary election night. Incumbent Republican Rep. Justin Ruffridge currently holds 1,630 votes (59.69%), against former Republican Rep. Ron Gillham, who has 1,101 votes (40.31%). Gillham is attempting to retake the seat he lost to Ruffridge in 2022.
In House District 5, Republican Rep. Louise Stutes from Kodiak, holds a commanding lead over Seward Libertarian Leighton Radner, claiming 1,566 votes (80%) compared to Radner’s 381.
For the complete certified results, please visit elections.alaska.gov.
