Republicans again have defeated the ranked-choice ballot. And it’s not even November.
In District 9, two Republicans have dropped, leaving Republican Lucy Bauer alone on the ballot to face Ky Holland, who is endorsed by the Alaska Democratic Party.
Candidates Lee Ellis of Girdwood and Brandy Pennington made it official today. Bauer was the leading Republican out of the primary this month, so they’re making room for her.
Ellis came away with 870 votes, Pennington received 811, and Bauer received 933.
Rather than split the donation and volunteer base, and make Republican voters uncertain or confused about who to support, both Ellis and Pennington cleared the runway for Bauer, who can now also get the endorsement of the Alaska Republican Party later in September. Update: Ellis, who only recently registered as a Republican, has endorsed stealth-Democrat Holland. Evidently Ellis was recruited to run by hardline Democrat Rep. Zack Fields as a plant.
Holland will be tough enough to beat with just one Republican in the race. He received 1,880 votes in the primary.
Lucy Bauer will need the help of Republicans to beat him.
“I dreamed of coming to America when I was a child,” Bauer says on her website. “I immigrated here the first chance I got. I immediately fell in love with the country and never looked back. This country has given me so many opportunities for success and now I’m running for office to give something back. I will work just as hard for you in the State House as I have in building a successful business. I come from humble roots and look forward to serving the community that I have grown so attached to.”
The pattern of Republican self-sacrifice follows what happened earlier in Eagle River, with Republicans Sharon Jackson and Ken McCarty dropping out to clear the path for Republican Jared Goecker to face Sen. Kelly Merrick, who is also a Republican, but who has lost the trust of many due to her allegiance to Democrats. She is not kindly regarded by many in her district, and Goecker got more votes from her in the primary, even though there were two other Republicans to choose from.
In Senate Seat H, Republican Tom McKay dropped, and Republican Liz Vazquez now has a clean shot at taking out Sen. Matt Claman, the Democrat.
That leaves House District 36, where Republicans Dana Mock and Cole Crabgress have both dropped from the November general election to allow Republican Rebecca Schwanke a better chance at defeating Democrat Brandon Kowalski.
There are a handful of Republican-on-Republican races in the MatSu Valley, such as Districts 27, 28, and 30.
In the congressional race, Republican Nancy Dahlstrom dropped out to give Nick Begich a better chance of retiring Rep. Mary Peltola.
Ranked-choice voting was tested first in Alaska in 2022, and Republicans found that it split the donation base, the volunteers, hurt the unity among conservatives, and dragged down the momentum, as people became uncertain about who to trust with their vote, their dollars, and their time.
In 2024, the Alaska Republicans are showing they put their state before their ambitions, pulling together as a team behind one person.
Friday is the last day to in-person drop from the November ballot at the Division of Elections, although some candidates may try to drop electronically over the weekend, with a less-than-certain result. Labor Day is Monday and is also the final day to drop, but the Division of Elections is closed.
