The Division of Elections and the State Review Board finished up their review of all election results and signed the certificate on Wednesday, which closes out the Nov. 8 general election for 2022. None of the results changed, although in one race in Anchorage, the margin between first and second place candidates may end up with a recount.
Rep. Tom McKay, House District 15, South Anchorage, leads Democrat Denny Wells by seven votes, up from the four-vote lead he had before the Election Review Board competed its work. Wells may ask for a recount within five days and is likely to do so by Monday.
In the case of Rep. David Eastman, whose qualifications to serve as a legislator have been challenged by partisan actors in his Wasilla district, a judge has ruled he cannot be certified until a court case against him is resolved involving his membership in the Oath Keepers, a paramilitary group that is patriotic in its mission. Although the results have been certified, it’s not the same as having the certificate filed. The court date for the election challenge is Dec. 12, but the matter may make it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court because it is a First Amendment case that could have federal ramifications.
In the case of Rep.-elect Jennifer Armstrong of Anchorage, a lawsuit has been filed against her residency eligibility, because she indicated on social media that she had not moved to Alaska and to the West Anchorage district in the required timeframe for filing for office. Armstrong, a Democrat, is what Alaska Democrats normally refer to as a carpetbagger, but she will defend her eligibility to be in office by saying that she indeed moved to Alaska in time to file and that the challenge to her residency has come too late.
