Mary Peltola tops ballot in Alaska House primary, poised for high-stakes November showdown

Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola finished first in Alaska’s nonpartisan congressional primary on Tuesday with a wide lead over her Republican challengers, setting the stage for a contentious general election matchup that could determine the balance of power in the U.S. House next year.

Under Alaska’s primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of their party affiliation and the four candidates with the most votes advance to the general election

Peltola garnered just over 50% of the vote, in preliminary results released early Wednesday morning. Republican candidates Nick Begich and Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom also advanced in the state’s ranked-choice primary, both receiving more than 20% support. Nine other candidates received less than 1% support and are vying for the fourth spot.

Peltola is seeking a second full-term to represent Alaska. She was first elected in a special election to fill Republican Congressman Don Young’s at-large seat after he died in March 2022. She beat out several rivals, including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin , who received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

Alaska’s at-large congressional district is one of five across the country that Trump won in 2020 and that are currently held by Democrats. The results of Tuesday’s primary are a positive sign for Peltola, the first Alaska Native ever elected to Congress, going into the general election.

Alaska voters approved a 2020 ballot measure implementing ranked-choice voting for its elections, meaning that if no candidate receives a majority of votes, the candidate with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated. Their votes go to the voter’s second choice until one candidate secures a majority.

In 2022, Peltola’s two Republican rivals ended up splitting the vote, handing her the majority after several rounds of elimination. The same could happen this year if both Begich and Dahlstrom choose to stay in the race.

Whatever happens, the outcome of the general election is likely to have national implications. Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority in the House and Peltola’ represents one of just a handful of competitive seats this election.

The path to control of Congress next year could very well run through Alaska’s at-large district.

Contributing: Maya Homan and Cy Neff, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mary Peltola tops ballot in Alaska House primary, poised for high-stakes November showdown