1968 United States Senate election in Alaska

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1968 United States Senate election in Alaska
Flag of Alaska.svg
  1962 November 5, 1968 1974  
  Mikegravel.jpg Elmer Rasmuson as Senate candidate (cropped).jpg Senator Ernest Gruening (D-AK) (croppedmore).jpg
Nominee Mike Gravel Elmer Rasmuson Ernest Gruening
(write-in)
Party Democratic Republican Democratic
Popular vote36,52730,28614,118
Percentage45.1%37.4%17.4%

U.S. senator before election

Ernest Gruening
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Mike Gravel
Democratic

The 1968 United States Senate election in Alaska took place on November 5, 1968. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ernest Gruening ran for a second full term in office but finished behind Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives Mike Gravel in the Democratic primary. Gruening launched an write-in bid for the seat in the general election, but finished third to Gravel and Republican former Anchorage mayor Elmer Rasmuson.

Contents

Gravel would later lose the primary in 1980 to Gruening's grandson Clark.

This would be the first of 3 times where the incumbent holder of Alaska's Class 3 U.S. Senate seat was defeated in the primary while running for re-election.

Future Senator Ted Stevens also ran in the Republican primary, but lost to Rasmuson by around 1,000 votes. When incumbent Democratic Class 2 Senator Bob Bartlett died that December, Governor Wally Hickel appointed Stevens to the vacant seat, giving Stevens a seniority advantage of 10 days over the incoming Gravel.

Primary election

Democratic

Results

U.S. Senate Democratic primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Mike Gravel 17,971 52.9
Democratic Ernest Gruening (incumbent)16,01547.1
Total votes33,986 100.00

Republican

Results

U.S. Senate Republican primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Elmer Rasmuson 10,320 53.1
Republican Ted Stevens 9,11146.9
Total votes19,431 100.00

General election

1968 United States Senate election in Alaska [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Mike Gravel 36,527 45.13%
Republican Elmer Rasmuson 30,28637.42%
Write-in Ernest Gruening (incumbent)14,11817.44%
Total votes80,931 100.00%
Democratic hold Swing

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Our Campaigns - AK US Senate - Open Primary Race - Aug 27, 1968".
  2. "Our Campaigns - AK US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1968".