Valley voters buck election trends

MAT-SU — According to the vote totals in the statewide election, Mat-Su Valley voters didn’t follow statewide trends in the gubernatorial race, or on the initiative to legalize marijuana.

The election totals were finalized and made official Nov. 24.

The marijuana vote — which prevailed statewide 53 percent to 47 percent — saw almost exactly the opposite result in Mat-Su. Valley voters rejected the initiative 52 percent to 48 percent. The only place voters approved of legalization was in state House District 8, encompassing the Big Lake and Knik areas. Voters most disapproving of marijuana legalization were in District 12, where 55 percent ticked the “No” box. The district encompasses parts of Butte, Chugiak and Fairview.

As for the gubernatorial election, Valley voters seemed to have turned their backs on Bill Walker.

When the attorney and longtime natural gas advocate ran for office in 2010, he faced incumbent Sean Parnell in the Republican primary and carried every Valley district, though the tallies were close in some instances.

This year Walker ran as an Independent and teamed with Democrat Byron Mallott to square off against Parnell in the general election. The challengers won the race with 48 percent of the vote to Parnell’s 45 percent. But in the process Walker more than reversed the result he achieved here last time.

Walker received less than 40 percent of the vote in the Valley, except in District 9, which represents the Farm Loop Road, Sutton and Chickaloon areas. Though he did a lot better in the district as a whole — he won 46 percent — singling out just the Valley districts, he pulled in only 40 percent.

By contrast, his opponent, Parnell, drew 56 percent of the Valley’s votes, posting his strongest showings in District 12 (Butte, Chugiak, Fairview) and District 8 (Big Lake, Knik).

The Valley, reliably a conservative stronghold, did more than its part in the other big election, that for U.S. Senator.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Begich lost to Republican Dan Sullivan 46 percent to 48 percent. The race was a squeaker, dragging on for days before Begich finally conceded.

But in the Valley it wasn’t even close. Begich lost by nearly a 2-1 margin. Sullivan drew in more than 60 percent of the vote across the board with Begich managing to wring out 30 percent or more from Mat-Su voters in just three districts — District 9 (Chickaloon, Sutton, Farm Loop Road), District 10 (Talkeetna, Willow, Houston), District 11 (Greater Palmer).

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.