Alaska's all-party primary sets stage for pivotal Senate showdown

Alaska voters head to the polls Tuesday in an all-party primary that will set the field for November's general election, with a competitive U.S. Senate race drawing national attention as a potential deciding factor in control of the chamber.

Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan faces a strong challenge from Democrat Mary Peltola in his bid for a third term. They are the most prominent names among 16 Senate candidates, with the top four finishers advancing regardless of party affiliation. The November winner will be determined through ranked choice voting, a system Alaska adopted in 2020.

Sullivan first won the seat in 2014 and took reelection in 2020 with 54% of the vote. Peltola, a former U.S. representative, made history in 2022 by winning a special election through ranked choice voting, but lost her 2024 reelection bid to Republican Nick Begich.

Campaign finance reports show Peltola has raised about $18.5 million compared to Sullivan's $11.7 million, though Sullivan holds a cash-on-hand advantage heading into the final stretch.

The ballot also features a second Dan Sullivan, a former teacher who filed as a Republican. Courts rejected efforts to remove him from the ballot over allegations of voter confusion, and he will appear as "Daniel J. Sullivan Jr." without party affiliation.

In the U.S. House race, incumbent Nick Begich seeks a second term against a field that includes independent Bill Hill, a commercial fisherman backed by several local unions. Begich has significantly out-raised his challenger.

Seventeen candidates are competing to replace term-limited Governor Mike Dunleavy, including former Governor Bill Walker as an independent and a slate of Republican contenders. Two Democrats, including former state Senator Tom Begich, are also in the race.

Voters will also decide a ballot measure on campaign contribution limits, which were lifted by a 2021 federal court ruling.

Polls close at 8 p.m. local time, with most results expected late Tuesday night and mail ballots counted over the following days. Roughly 18,000 ballots had already been cast as of Thursday.