Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich, and independent Al Gross have advanced to the August special election for the state’s only U.S. House seat.
The election went on as scheduled following a tense legal fight over ballot access issues, with the state defending itself against accusations that the manner in which the primarily by-mail election was held discriminated against voters with visual impairments.
Peltola, who was one of six Democrats on the ballot, is a former state lawmaker. Sweeney was an assistant secretary of Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of Interior during the Trump administration. Palin, making her first bid for elected office since resigning as governor partway through her term in 2009, touted endorsements from a number of national figures, including former President Donald Trump. Palin was an early supporter of Trump during his 2016 presidential bid, and he participated in a telerally for her the week before the election.An August primary and November general election will decide who serves a two-year House term beginning in January.
Gross got crosswise with some Democrats earlier this year after an interview in which he did not commit to caucusing with Democrats if elected. He later said he would.