Democrats take lead over incumbent Republican in Alaska Senate primary
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In Alaska's all-party primary, former Democratic Representative Mary Peltola is ahead of Republican Senator Dan Sullivan with about 48% of the vote, while the race remains incomplete.
Alaska’s all-party primary, which uses ranked-choice voting, showed former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola ahead of incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. With roughly 80% of ballots counted, Peltola held 48.1% of the vote compared with Sullivan’s 42.7%, while the remaining votes were split among other candidates still eligible for the general election.
The early results suggest a challenging environment for the Republican incumbent, who has yet to secure a majority of the primary electorate. Analysts note that primary outcomes are not definitive predictors of November results, citing past instances where candidates performed differently in the general election.
Turnout in the 2026 primary was notably higher than in recent cycles, reaching about 160,000 votes—approximately 60% of the total cast in the 2022 midterms. This higher participation may narrow the gap between the primary and general-election electorates.
Sullivan’s sub-43% showing is considered low for an incumbent, and the proportion of voters selecting a Republican Senate candidate (around 45.7%) trails the Republican shares in recent House and gubernatorial primaries. The final outcome will depend on the counting of remaining ballots and the redistribution of preferences under the ranked-choice system.
Democrats view the early lead as encouraging, given Alaska’s potential role in determining Senate control, but caution that the race is not decided until all votes are tallied.