Few surprises in low-turnout state primary election; Stage set for November, when final decisions come

There were few surprises in the low-turnout August 20 primary election. It is best seen as a dress rehearsal for November because under the state’s ranked-choice election system almost all candidates on the state primary election ballot will appear again on the November ballot, which is when voters will make the final decisions.

In the Mat-Su, the closely-watched District N state senate race between David Wilson, who is running for reelection, and two challengers, Rob Yundt and Stephen Wright, saw Wilson get a majority with 41.1 percent of the vote against 32.9% for Yundt and 25.8% for Wright.

Under the states’ ranked choice voting system all three candidates will appear on the November ballot, so voters will make a final decision.

David Eastman, incumbent in Wasilla’s House District 27, received 61.7% of the vote against his challenger, Jubilee Underwood with 38.2%, but the two will appear again in November.

The Wasilla House District 28 race was surprisingly competitive. Four candidates, all Republican, more or less split the vote although Jesse Sumner, the incumbent, netted 32.5% of votes cast against challengers Steve Menard at 27.3%; Elexie Moore at 23.4% and Jessica Wright at 16.5%.

In House District 30, which is mainly Big Lake but extending north as far as Anderson, near Clear, incumbent Kevin McCabe received 54.6% of the vote against his challenger, Doyle Holmes, with 45.4%. Both are Republican.

In the only statewide race on the ballot, Mary Peltola, a Democrat and Alaska’s sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives, left her main challengers, Republicans Nick Begich and Nancy Dahlstrom, in the dust.

Peltola netted 49.9% of the vote to Begich’s 27.2% and Dahlstrom’s 20.5%.

Under ranked choice the top four candidates proceed to November and others on the ballot fall away.

Although Peltola did not get a majority of votes cast there now seems a good chance she will prevail in November because Begich and Dahstrom will again be on the ballot it seems likely they will each get the same share of ballots cast.

That’s unless one of them withdraws, which Begich said he might do if he makes a poor showing. What could also change things in November is the “coat-tail” effect of the presidential election with Donald Trump on the ballot. The turnout will be much higher and will favor Republicans, which will be a challenge for Peltola.