Alaska's at-large congressional district

Last updated

Alaska's at-large congressional district
AK01 109.png
Representative
Area665,384.04 [1]  sq mi (1,723,336.8 km2)
Distribution
  • 65.7% urban [2]
  • 34.3% rural
Population (2023)733,406 [3]
Median household
income
$86,631 [4]
Ethnicity
Cook PVI R+8 [5]

Since becoming a U.S. state in 1959, Alaska has been entitled to one member in the United States House of Representatives. The representative is elected at-large, because the state has only one congressional district, encompassing its entire territory. By area, Alaska's congressional district is the largest congressional district in the United States and the third-largest electoral district represented by a single member in the world. It is exceeded by the Yakutsk district in Russia and Nunavut in Canada.

Contents

On August 31, 2022, Democrat Mary Peltola defeated Republican former governor Sarah Palin in the special election to replace Don Young, who died on March 18 of the same year and was the longest serving Republican in the history of the House and was the most notable person to represent the district. Peltola became the first Democrat elected to the House of Representatives from Alaska since 1972, and the first Alaska Native in history to be elected to the United States House of Representatives.

As of 2024, the state comprises the most Republican-leaning congressional district to be represented by a Democrat. It has a partisan lean of R+8. [5]

History

The district was created when Alaska achieved statehood on January 3, 1959. Given the growth of population across the nation, Alaska is still entitled to only one seat in the House of Representatives.

Voter registration

Voter registration as of January 3, 2021 [6]
PartyTotal votersPercentage
Unaffiliated 338,93156.52%
Republican 149,17324.87%
Democratic 81,35513.57%
Alaskan Independence 19,1093.19%
Minor parties 11,1361.85%
Total599,704100%

Recent statewide election results

Because Alaska has always had only one congressional district, these are the same as the presidential election results for the state.

YearOfficeResults
1960 President Richard Nixon 51% – John F. Kennedy 49%
1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson 66% – Barry Goldwater 34%
1968 President Richard Nixon 45% – Hubert Humphrey 43%
1972 President Richard Nixon 58% – George McGovern 35%
1976 President Gerald Ford 58% – Jimmy Carter 36%
1980 President Ronald Reagan 54% – Jimmy Carter 26%
1984 President Ronald Reagan 67% – Walter Mondale 30%
1988 President George H. W. Bush 60% – Michael Dukakis 36%
1992 President George H. W. Bush 39% – Bill Clinton 30%
1996 President Bob Dole 51% – Bill Clinton 33%
2000 President George W. Bush 59% – Al Gore 28%
2004 President George W. Bush 61% – John Kerry 36%
2008 President John McCain 59% – Barack Obama 38%
2012 President Mitt Romney 55% – Barack Obama 41%
2016 President Donald Trump 51% – Hillary Clinton 37%
2020 President Donald Trump 53% – Joe Biden 43%
2024 President Donald Trump 55% – Kamala Harris 41%

List of members representing the district

Representative
(Residence)
PartyTermCong
ress
Electoral history
District created January 3, 1959
Ralph Julian Rivers.jpg
Ralph Rivers
(Fairbanks)
Democratic January 3, 1959 –
December 30, 1966
86th
87th
88th
89th
Elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Lost re-election, then resigned early.
VacantDecember 30, 1966 –
January 3, 1967
89th
Howard Wallace Pollock.jpg
Howard Pollock
(Anchorage)
Republican January 3, 1967 –
January 3, 1971
90th
91st
Elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Retired to run for Governor of Alaska.
Nick Begich.jpg
Nick Begich Sr.
(Anchorage)
Democratic January 3, 1971 –
December 29, 1972
92nd Elected in 1970.
Went missing October 16, 1972.
Re-elected posthumously in 1972.
Declared dead December 29, 1972.
VacantDecember 29, 1972 –
March 6, 1973
92nd
93rd
Don Young, official 115th Congress photo portrait.jpg
Don Young
(Fort Yukon)
Republican March 6, 1973 –
March 18, 2022
93rd
94th
95th
96th
97th
98th
99th
100th
101st
102nd
103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th
110th
111th
112th
113th
114th
115th
116th
117th
Elected to finish Begich's term.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Died.
VacantMarch 18, 2022 –
September 13, 2022
117th
Mary Peltola Congressional Member Portrait (2).jpeg
Mary Peltola
(Bethel)
Democratic September 13, 2022 –
present
117th
118th
Elected to finish Young's term.
Re-elected in 2022.
Lost re-election.
Nick Begich Official Campaign Profile Photo (alt crop).jpg
Nick Begich III (elect)
(Anchorage)
Republican January 3, 2025 119th Elected in 2024.

Electoral history

1958 to 2010

YearRepublicanDemocraticGreenLibertarianOthersWrite-in [7]
CandidateVotesPctCandidateVotesPctCandidateVotesPctCandidateVotesPctCandidateVotesPctVotesPct
1958 Henry A. Benson 20,699 Ralph Rivers 27,948
1960 R. L. Rettig 25,517Ralph Rivers (Incumbent)33,546
1962 Lowell Thomas Jr. 26,638Ralph Rivers (Incumbent)33,953
1964 Lowell Thomas Jr. 32,556Ralph Rivers (Incumbent)34,590
1966 Howard W. Pollock 34,040Ralph Rivers (Incumbent)31,867
1968 Howard W. Pollock (Incumbent)43,577 Nick Begich 36,785
1970 Frank Murkowski 35,947Nick Begich44,137
1972 Don Young 41,750Nick Begich (Incumbent)53,651
1973 Don Young35,044 Emil Notti 33,123
1974 Don Young (Incumbent)51,641 William L. Hensley 44,280
1976 Don Young (Incumbent)83,722 Eben Hopson 34,194292
1978 Don Young (Incumbent)68,811Patrick Rodey55,176200
1980 Don Young (Incumbent)114,089Kevin Parnell39,922607
1982 Don Young (Incumbent)128,274Dave Carlson52,011799
1984 Don Young (Incumbent)113,582 Pegge Begich 86,052Betty Breck (I)6,508295
1986 Don Young (Incumbent)101,799Pegge Begich74,053Betty Breck4,182243
1988 Don Young (Incumbent)120,595Peter Gruenstein71,881479
1990 Don Young (Incumbent)99,003John S. Devens91,677967
1992 Don Young (Incumbent)111,849John S. Devens102,378Mike Milligan9,529Michael States (AI)15,049311
1994 Don Young (Incumbent)118,537Tony Smith68,172Joni Whitmore21,277254
1996 Don Young (Incumbent)138,834 Georgianna Lincoln 85,114John J. G. Grames4,513William J. Nemec II (AI)5,017222
1998 Don Young (Incumbent)139,676 Jim Duncan 77,232John J. G. Grames5,923469
2000 Don Young (Incumbent)190,862Clifford Mark Greene45,372Anna C. Young22,440Leonard J. Karpinski4,802Jim Dore (AI)10,085832
2002 Don Young (Incumbent)169,685Clifford Mark Greene39,357Russell deForest14,435Rob Clift3,797291
2004 Don Young (Incumbent)213,216Thomas M. Higgins67,074Timothy A. Feller11,434Alvin A. Anders7,1571,115
2006 Don Young (Incumbent)132,743 Diane E. Benson 93,879Eva Ince1,819Alexander Crawford4,029William Ratigan1,615560
2008 Don Young (Incumbent)158,939 Ethan Berkowitz 142,560 Don Wright 14,2741,205
2010 Don Young (Incumbent)175,384 Harry Crawford 77,6061,345
YearRepublicanDemocraticGreenLibertarianOthersWrite-in

Source: "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Archived from the original on July 30, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2008.

2012

2012 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Don Young (incumbent) 185,296 63.94 −5.02
Democratic Sharon Cissna 82,92728.62−1.89
Libertarian Jim McDermott15,0285.19+5.19
Independent Ted Gianoutsos5,5891.93+1.93
Independent Write-in votes9640.33−0.20
Republican hold Swing
Turnout 289,804

2014

2014 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Don Young (incumbent) 142,260 50.95 −12.99
Democratic Forrest Dunbar 114,31740.94+12.32
Libertarian Jim McDermott21,3737.65+2.46
Independent Write-in votes1,2690.45+0.12
Republican hold Swing
Turnout 279,219

2016

2016 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Don Young (incumbent) 155,088 50.32 −0.63
Democratic Steve Lindbeck111,01936.02−4.92
Libertarian Jim McDermott31,77010.31+2.66
Independent Bernie Souphanavong9,0932.95+2.95
Independent Write-in votes1,2280.40−0.05
Republican hold Swing
Turnout 308,198

2018

2018 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Don Young (incumbent) 149,779 53.08 +2.76%
Independent Alyse S. Galvin [a] 131,19946.50+10.48%
Write-in 1,1880.42+0.02%
Total votes282,166 100 N/A

2020

2020 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Don Young (incumbent) 192,126 54.40 +1.32%
Independent Alyse S. Galvin [a] 159,85645.26−1.24%
Write-in 1,1830.34−0.08%
Total votes353,165 100 N/A

2022 special

2022 Alaska's at-large congressional district special election
PartyCandidateRound 1Round 2
Votes %TransferVotes %
Democratic Mary Peltola 74,80739.66%+16,39991,20651.47%
Republican Sarah Palin 58,32830.93%+27,65985,98748.53%
Republican Nick Begich III 52,50427.84%-52,504Eliminated
Write-in 2,9711.58%-2,971Eliminated
Total votes188,610100.00%177,19394.29%
Inactive ballots 00.00%+10,72610,7265.71%
Democratic gain from Republican

2022

2022 Alaska's at-large congressional district election [10]
PartyCandidateRound 1Round 2Round 3
Votes %TransferVotes %TransferVotes %
Democratic Mary Peltola (incumbent)128,32948.68%+1,038129,43349.20%+7,460136,89354.94%
Republican Sarah Palin 67,73225.74%+1,06469,24226.32%+43,013112,25545.06%
Republican Nick Begich III 61,43123.34%+1,98864,39224.48%-64,392Eliminated
Libertarian Chris Bye4,5601.73%-4,560Eliminated
Write-in 1,0960.42%-1,096Eliminated
Total votes263,148100.00%263,067100.00%249,148100.00%
Inactive ballots 2,1930.83%+9063,0971.16%+14,76517,0165.55%
Democratic hold

Notes

  1. 1 2 Also listed as having the Democratic nomination.

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References

  1. Census data 2010census.gov Archived October 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Congressional Districts". proximityone.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  3. Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  4. Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Introducing the 2022 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index". The Cook Political Report. June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  6. "Alaska Voter Registration by Party/Precinct" . Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  7. Prior to the 1976 election, official election returns released by the State of Alaska were typewritten rather than computer generated, and write-in votes were not included in published vote totals
  8. Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives . Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  9. "State of Alaska 2020 General Election" (PDF). Alaska Division of Elections. November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  10. "RCV Detailed Report | General Election | State of Alaska" (PDF). Alaska Division of Elections. November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.

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