Republicans candidates sweep Valley elections

The good news is, the election ads are over. The bad news is, Alaskans won’t know for several weeks who they elected to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

For now, incumbent U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski — who ran as a write-in candidate — is the presumed front-runner.

The Write-in Vote category received the majority of votes — 41 percent with 99 percent of precincts reporting — while Joe Miller had 34 percent and Scott McAdams trailed with 24 percent.

Republicans Sean Parnell and Mead Treadwell won 59 percent of the vote, running against Democrats Ethan Berkowitz and Diane Benson, who received 38 percent of the vote.

Don Young will serve a 20th term in the U.S. House Republican. With 68 percent of the vote reporting, he was leading Democratic challenger, state legislator Harry Crawford, 69 percent to 31 percent.

All of the Valley’s Republican state legislators representing the Mat-Su Valley retained their seats in the Legislature.

Republican Bill Stoltze defeated Bonnie Nelson, winning 78 percent of the vote. Republican Eric Feige won 58 percent of the vote to defeat Democrat Bert Cottle, who had 42 percent of the vote.

Running unopposed were Wes Keller (R-Wasilla), Mark Neuman (R-Willow) and Carl Gatto (R-Palmer), as well as state Sen. Charlie Huggins (R-Mat-Su), who all retained their seats.

Voters also approved Proposition A, by 62 percent, to authorize the state to sell $600 million in bonds that will be repaid through low-cost mortgages offered to veterans.

Proposition B — a $397 million bond to build education facilities — passed with 59 percent of the vote.

And, 60 percent of Alaskans voted against Ballot Measure No. 1, which would have increase the size of the state Legislature by adding two senators and four representatives.

State Supreme Court Justice Dana Fabe retained her seat with 53 percent of the vote and State Appeals Court Justice David Mannheimer was retained with 62 percent of the vote.

Superior Court judges Kari Kristiansen won 62 percent of the vote; Jack W. Smith won 63 percent; Vanessa White won 64 percent; District Court judge John Wolfe, won 65 percent; and, District Court judge William Estelle, 63 percent.