Politics

Alaska top-four primary results advance unusual candidate mix to November ballot

Under Alaska's ranked-choice voting system, primary outcomes include an incarcerated felon and a challenger sharing the sitting senator's name.

Updated Sep 2, 2026 · 12:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

Alaska's top-four nonpartisan primary finalized general election slates for its U.S. Senate and House races under the ranked-choice voting system.
Incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan faces former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, Democrat David Leslie, and Republican challenger Daniel J. Sullivan.
The state's sole U.S. House race will feature Republican Rep. Nick Begich, independent Bill Hill, and Eric Hafner, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in New York.
Voters will rank their choices in November, with the outcome determining Alaska's congressional representation.

Alaska finalized its top-four primary results on September 1 under an election system adopted in 2020 and implemented in 2022.[CBS News]
In the Senate contest, incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan, former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, Republican Daniel J. Sullivan, and Democrat David Leslie advanced to the general election.[CBS News]
Challenger Daniel J. Sullivan successfully appealed an initial state election official's determination that his candidacy was an attempt to confuse voters.[CBS News]
In the House primary, Republican Rep. Nick Begich, independent Bill Hill, and Eric Hafner advanced, while Democrat Matt Schultz suspended his campaign and will not appear on the ballot.[CBS News]
Eric Hafner is an incarcerated felon serving a 20-year federal sentence in New York after pleading guilty to making threatening communications to state officials.[CBS News]

The extent to which voter confusion between the two Sullivan candidates may impact the Senate general election result remains unknown.[CBS News]