Alaska gubernatorial election, 2010

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Alaska gubernatorial election, 2010
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  Former Governor of Alaska Sean Parnell.jpg Ethan Berkowitz.jpg
Nominee Sean Parnell Ethan Berkowitz
Party Republican Democratic
Running mate Mead Treadwell Diane E. Benson
Popular vote151,31896,519
Percentage59.1%37.7%
Governor before election

Sean Parnell
Republican

Elected Governor

Sean Parnell
Republican

The 2010 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Former Governor Sarah Palin did not run, having resigned in July 2009. [1] Incumbent Governor Sean Parnell, who as lieutenant governor succeeded Palin following her resignation, announced that he would seek a full term. [2]

Sarah Palin 9th Governor of Alaska

Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality, who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election alongside presidential nominee, Arizona Senator John McCain, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major political party and the first Republican woman selected as a vice presidential candidate. Her book Going Rogue has sold more than two million copies.

Resignation of Sarah Palin

The resignation of Sarah Palin as Governor of Alaska, after 2.5 years of her 4-year term, was announced on July 3, 2009 and became effective on July 26. Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell succeeded Sarah Palin as Governor. Parnell was later elected to a full term, in November 2010.

Sean Parnell Alaska governor

Sean R. Parnell is an American politician of the Republican Party. He succeeded Sarah Palin in July 2009 to become the tenth governor of Alaska and served until 2014. Parnell was elected governor in his own right in 2010 with 59.06% of the vote, as the largest percentage margin of any Alaska governor since statehood. In 2014, he narrowly lost his bid for re-election and has since returned to work in the private sector.

Contents

Following the primary election on Tuesday, August 24, 2010, the Democratic ticket consists of Ethan Berkowitz and Diane E. Benson running against Republican Parnell and his running mate, Mead Treadwell. [3]

Ethan Berkowitz American lawyer and politician

Ethan A. Berkowitz is an American politician who is the current mayor of Anchorage, Alaska. From 1997 to 2007 he was the Alaska State Representative for District 26, serving as the Democratic Party Minority Leader from 1999 to 2007. He was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2006, for Alaska's at-large congressional district in 2008 and for governor in 2010. He was elected mayor of Anchorage in 2015, and reelected to a second term in 2018.

Diane E. Benson is an Alaskan politician, inspirational speaker, video production consultant, published writer and dramatist. On August 24, 2010, she became the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Alaska, defeating three other opponents in the Democratic primary. Benson's running mate for governor was former state House minority leader Ethan Berkowitz; they lost in the general election to the Republican ticket of Sean Parnell and Mead Treadwell by 22% of the vote.

Mead Treadwell American politician

Louis Mead Treadwell II is an American businessman and politician who served as lieutenant governor of Alaska from 2010 to 2014. Treadwell is the former Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission serving from 2006 to 2010. He is a member of the Republican Party and was a candidate for the 2014 U.S. Senate election in Alaska.

In the general election Parnell/Treadwell defeated Berkowitz/Benson by a wide margin. [4] Parnell received over 59% of the vote, which is the highest percentage for any Alaska gubernatorial candidate in history.

Republican primary

Certified for the ballot

A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for an elected office but seldom wins. The term is not generally extended to incumbent politicians who successfully defend their seats repeatedly.

A truck driver is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck.

Ralph Samuels is a businessman and a member of the Republican Party and candidate for Governor of Alaska, that served as a state representative of the Alaska State Legislature from 2002 to 2008 representing House District 29 and serving as the majority leader.

Declined

Withdrew

John Harris (Alaska politician) politician in Alaska, United States

John Harris is an American politician and member of the Alaska House of Representatives. He served as Speaker of the House from 2005 to 2008. He was first elected in 1998 and represents the 12th district, as a member of the Republican Party. He was the mayor of Valdez from 1992 to 1996 and a member of the Valdez City Council from 1990 to 1998. John Harris attended Lincoln Electric Welding School in Cleveland, Ohio and Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the owner of Valdez Industrial Supply, and has been a board member of Horizons Unlimited, Resource of Alaska, and United Way.

Polling

Poll sourceDates administeredSean ParnellRalph SamuelsBill WalkerUndecided
Hellenthal & Associates July 22–25, 201060%13%15%12%
Basswood Research February 27–28, 201069%9%4%21%

Results

Republican primary results [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Sean Parnell (incumbent)54,12549.49
Republican Bill Walker35,73433.95
Republican Ralph Samuels15,37614.05
Republican Sam Little1,6611.54
Republican Merica Hlatcu6260.56
Republican Gerald L. Heikes4600.40
Total votes107,982100

Alaskan Independence-Democratic-Libertarian combined primary

Candidates

[5]

Alaskan Independence Party

  • Don Wright, bush pilot

Democratic Party

Alaska House of Representatives lower house in the Alaska Legislature

The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of approximately 17,756 people per 2010 Census figures. Members serve two-year terms without term limits. With 40 representatives, the Alaska House is the smallest state legislative lower house in the United States.

Hollis French American politician

Hollis S. French II is a Democratic member who served in the Alaska Senate, serving from 2003 to 2015. He was minority leader from January 2014 until he left office. During this time, French authored an unsuccessful bill to strike down the state's same-sex marriage ban.

Alaska Senate

The Alaska Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It convenes in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska and is responsible for making laws and confirming or rejecting gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.

Libertarian Party

  • William Toien

Results

ADL primary results [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ethan Berkowitz22,60748.69
Democratic Hollis French18,01838.81
Alaskan Independence Don Wright4,1048.84
Libertarian William Toien1,6983.66
Total votes46,427100

General election

Candidates

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Cook Political Report Solid R [9] October 29, 2010
Rothenberg Safe R [10] October 28, 2010
Swing State ProjectSafe R[ citation needed ]
RealClearPolitics Solid R [11] October 29, 2010
Sabato's Crystal Ball Safe R [12] October 28, 2010
CQ Politics Solid R [13] October 29, 2010

Polling

Poll sourceDates administeredSean Parnell (R)Ethan Berkowitz (D)
CNN/Time Magazine October 15–19, 201062%36%
Rasmussen Reports October 13, 201052%39%
CNN/Time Magazine September 24–28, 201057%38%
Rasmussen Reports September 19, 201054%34%
Rasmussen Reports August 31, 201053%43%
Public Policy Polling August 27–28, 201055%37%
Basswood Research August 28–29, 201054%40%
Rasmussen Reports July 15, 201053%34%
Rasmussen Reports May 6, 201058%30%

Fundraising

Campaign activity disclosure reports are filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. For the period ending February 1, 2010, the candidates and others subject to filing have reported the following to APOC:

CandidateCash on handCandidate's
own money		Total incomeTotal expensesTotal debtsSurplus/
(deficit)
Berkowitz$0$10,295.77$128,178.52$19,500.20$0$108,678.32
Parnell$0$0$214,696.77$93,842.38$2,025.00$123,150.38

Results

[14]

2010 gubernatorial election, Alaska
PartyCandidateVotes%±
Republican Sean Parnell / Mead Treadwell 151,318 59.06 +10.7
Democratic Ethan Berkowitz / Diane E. Benson 96,51937.67-3.3
Alaskan Independence Don Wright 4,7751.86+1.3
Libertarian Billy Toien / Jeffrey Brown2,6821.05+0.7
Write-in votes8980.35+0.2
Plurality54,79921.39
Turnout 256,19252.3
Republican hold Swing +14.26

Lieutenant Governor's race

Background

In Alaska, the lieutenant governor runs separately from the governor in the primary election. The respective party nominees for each office are then joined together as a party ticket in the general election. On occasion, a minor party will nominate a candidate for governor, but without a running mate.

Candidates

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The Alaskan Independence Party (AKIP) is a political party and independence movement in the U.S. state of Alaska that advocates an in-state referendum which includes the option of Alaska becoming an independent country. The party also advocates positions similar to those of the Constitution Party, Republican Party and Libertarian Party, supporting gun rights, privatization, home schooling, and limited government.

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References

  1. 1 2 Jonathan Martin. "Palin announces resignation". Politico.
  2. ↑ "Is Palin retiring, or running for president in 2012? - CTV News". Ctv.ca. 2009-07-04. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  3. ↑ "Treadwell, Benson win lieutenant governor races". Archived from the original on 2010-08-28. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  4. ↑ Election Night 2010: Incumbents Parnell and Young Re-Elected, Possibly Murkowski APRN 3-10-2010
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Unofficial Candidate List 2010 Primary Election". Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  6. ↑ : jjAK49 @ 01.23.2010 2:14 AM (2010-01-23). "Harris pulls out of governor's race". Alaskadispatch.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  7. 1 2 "Alaska Primary Results, 2010".
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-08. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  9. ↑ "2010 Governors Race Ratings". Cook Political Report. Archived from the original on 26 October 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Governor Ratings". Rothenberg Political Report. Archived from the original on 28 September 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  11. ↑ "2010 Governor Races". RealClearPolitics. Archived from the original on 27 October 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  12. ↑ "2010 Governor Ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Archived from the original on 3 October 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Race Ratings Chart: Governor". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on 5 October 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  14. ↑ http://www.elections.alaska.gov/results/10GENR/data/resultsOF.htm
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