The Division of Elections released another batch of election results from the Nov. 8 election. This batch, including many from the Fairbanks area, shows Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka has pulled slightly ahead of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, 104,898 to 104,470. That’s 43.28%-43.11%, advantage Tshibaka, but Murkowski is expected to win when the final tabulation is done on Tuesday, as she will pick up most of Democrat Pat Chesbro’s 24,377 second-choice votes.
In the House race, Congresswoman Mary Peltola, a Democrat, now has 117,686 votes, having gained another 1,364 since the last batch count on Wednesday, with Sarah Palin coming in second with 63,608, and Nick Begich third with 57,900 votes. Only if Begich voters marked Palin second
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has maintained his lead of 124,610 to Democrat Les Gara’s 58,273, and former Gov. Bill Walker is at 50,018. It appears Gara and Walker have no viable way to catch Dunleavy, who is still at nearly 51% of the first-choice vote.
Today’s count includes House District 31-36 absentee ballots received through Nov 17 (all counts), House District 36 questioned ballots (all counts), early vote ballots cast at the Region III (Fairbanks) early voting location (including ballots from other regions).
In House District 39, the Nome area and north, Democrat Rep. Neal Foster is ahead of Alaskan Independence Party Tyler Ivanoff of Shishmaref by just three votes. This one will likely go to a recount and shows some level of dissatisfaction with Foster in an area he has represented since Nov. 15, 2009, after the death of his father, Rep. Richard Foster.
In Anchorage, Rep. Matt Claman is maintaining a strong enough lead over Sen. Mia Costello to take that seat, 7,469 to 6,958.
Costello wrote her concession statement on social media:
“While the votes were close after the first count, the latest count of ballots in my race now has a clear result: my opponent has a lead that is numerically insurmountable. I wish him the best as he prepares to serve as West Anchorage’s next State Senator,” she wrote.
“When I first decided to run for public office, I knew I wanted to serve to help keep our neighborhoods safe for our families, and our economy strong with exciting new opportunities. I pledged to work to keep West Anchorage an amazing place to raise my kids, just as it was an incredible place for me to grow up. And I promised that any Alaskan who came to me with a problem would find an open door, a listening ear, and a grateful servant wanting to help. I worked hard to keep that promise, and I sincerely hope I have,” Costello wrote.
“It has been my great honor to serve you in the Alaska Senate for the last eight years and in the State House for four years before that. I’m profoundly grateful for the trust you’ve shown me. And while my role will change, I’ll still work to keep that promise in the role that has always mattered the most — as your neighbor Mia.
“Thank you so much, and God bless,” Sen. Costello wrote. Claman is a Democrat who has flipped the Republican seat and all-but ensured a coalition caucus between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate.
