With more than 93 percent of all votes counted in Alaska’s Aug. 16 primary election, incumbents Rep. Louise Stutes, and Sen. Gary Stevens, both R-Kodiak, were unopposed victors.
Neither have a challenger in the forthcoming general election.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, garnered 71 percent of the vote in the Republican Senate primary, while in the Republican House primary Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, also swept 71 percent of the vote.
Murkowski now will face Democratic challenger Ray Metcalfe, a former Republican legislator and political activist, in the general election, after Metcalfe’s win over Democrat Edgar Blatchford. Libertarian Cean Stevens, her party’s only candidate, will also be on the ballot.
In the general election House race, Young will face Democrat Steve Lindbeck, a former public radio executive, who easily beat competitors Bill Hibler of Fairbanks and Lynette Hinz of Anchorage. Libertarian Jim McDermott of Fairbanks, also will challenge Young.
Unofficial statewide returns showed that only 15 percent, or 77,638 of the state’s 515,714 registered voters cast ballots in the primary election.
Stutes received a total of 707 votes in all of House District 32, while Stevens received 2,900 votes in Senate District P.
In other unofficial statewide primary results, Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, won with 46 percent of the vote over Republican challengers Mary Wythe and John Cox. Seaton has no challengers in the general election.
Several other legislators appeared to have been ousted in the primary, including two Republican House members trying for Senate seats. Rep Lynn Gattis of Wasilla, was losing to Wasilla City Councilman David Wilson, and Rep. Craig-Johnson, of Anchorage, was losing to Natasha Von Imhof, a former Anchorage School Board member.
Also apparently out were Rep. Jim Colver, R-Palmer, who garnered fewer votes than Republican challenger George Rauscher, a Sutton contractor, and Rep. Bob Herron, D-Bethel, who was trailing Democratic primary challenger Zach Fansler, a Bethel attorney who was backed by the Democratic Party. Rep. Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, was losing to Republican David Eastman, a Wasilla firefighter.
Complete election results will be online at
www.elections.alaska.gov
