Alaska's at-large congressional district

Since becoming a U.S. state in 1959, Alaska has been entitled to one member in the United States House of Representatives, elected in the state's sole, at-large congressional district. 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, behind only Yakutsk district in Russia and Nunavut's sole electoral district in Canada.

Alaska's at-large congressional district
Representative
  Mary Peltola
D–Bethel
Area665,384.04[1] sq mi (1,723,336.8 km2)
Distribution
  • 65.7% urban[2]
  • 34.3% rural
Population (2022)733,583[3]
Median household
income		$88,121[4]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+8[5]

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. Peltola became the first Democrat elected to the House of Representatives from Alaska since 1972, and the first Alaskan Native to be elected to the United States House of Representatives in history.

As of 2023, the district is the most Republican-leaning congressional district represented by a Democrat, with a partisan lean of R+8.[5] It was also one of five districts that would have voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election had they existed in their current configuration while being won or held by a Democrat in 2022.

History

The district was created when Alaska achieved statehood on January 3, 1959. Alaska is still entitled to only one member in the House of Representatives.

Voter registration
Voter registration as of January 3, 2021[6]
Party Total voters Percentage
Unaffiliated 338,931 56.52%
Republican 149,173 24.87%
Democratic 81,355 13.57%
Alaskan Independence 19,109 3.19%
Minor parties 11,136 1.85%
Total 599,704 100%

Recent statewide election results
Year Office Results
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%

List of members representing the district
Representative
(Residence)		 Party Term Cong
ress		 Electoral history
District created January 3, 1959

Ralph Julian 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.
Vacant December 30, 1966 –
January 3, 1967		 89th

Howard Wallace 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
(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.
Vacant December 29, 1972 –
March 6, 1973		 92nd
93rd

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 in office.
Vacant March 18, 2022 –
September 13, 2022		 117th

Mary Peltola
(Bethel)		 Democratic September 13, 2022 –
present		 117th
118th		 Elected to finish Young's term.
Re-elected in 2022.

Electoral history

1958 to 2010
Year Republican Democratic Green Libertarian Others Write-in[7]
Candidate Votes Pct Candidate Votes Pct Candidate Votes Pct Candidate Votes Pct Candidate Votes Pct Votes Pct
1958 Henry A. Benson 20,699 42.5% Ralph Rivers 27,948 57.5%
1960 R. L. Rettig 25,517 43.2% Ralph Rivers (Incumbent) 33,546 56.8%
1962 Lowell Thomas Jr. 26,638 44% Ralph Rivers (Incumbent) 33,953 56%
1964 Lowell Thomas Jr. 32,556 48.5% Ralph Rivers (Incumbent) 34,590 51.5%
1966 Howard W. Pollock 34,040 51.6% Ralph Rivers (Incumbent) 31,867 48.4%
1968 Howard W. Pollock (Incumbent) 43,577 54.2% Nick Begich 36,785 45.8%
1970 Frank Murkowski 35,947 44.9% Nick Begich 44,137 55.1%
1972 Don Young 41,750 43.8% Nick Begich (Incumbent) 53,651 56.2%
1973 Don Young 35,044 51.4% Emil Notti 33,123 48.6%
1974 Don Young (Incumbent) 51,641 53.8% William L. Hensley 44,280 46.2%
1976 Don Young (Incumbent) 83,722 70.8% Eben Hopson 34,194 28.9% 292 0.2%
1978 Don Young (Incumbent) 68,811 55.4% Patrick Rodey 55,176 44.4% 200 0.2%
1980 Don Young (Incumbent) 114,089 73.8% Kevin Parnell 39,922 25.8% 607 0.4%
1982 Don Young (Incumbent) 128,274 70.8% Dave Carlson 52,011 28.7% 799 0.4%
1984 Don Young (Incumbent) 113,582 55% Pegge Begich 86,052 41.7% Betty Breck (I) 6,508 3.2% 295 0.1%
1986 Don Young (Incumbent) 101,799 56.5% Pegge Begich 74,053 41.1% Betty Breck 4,182 2.3% 243 0.1%
1988 Don Young (Incumbent) 120,595 62.5% Peter Gruenstein 71,881 37.3% 479 0.2%
1990 Don Young (Incumbent) 99,003 51.7% John S. Devens 91,677 47.8% 967 0.5%
1992 Don Young (Incumbent) 111,849 46.8% John S. Devens 102,378 42.8% Mike Milligan 9,529 4% Michael States (AI) 15,049 6.3% 311 0.1%
1994 Don Young (Incumbent) 118,537 56.9% Tony Smith 68,172 32.7% Joni Whitmore 21,277 10.2% 254 0.1%
1996 Don Young (Incumbent) 138,834 59.4% Georgianna Lincoln 85,114 36.4% John J. G. Grames 4,513 1.9% William J. Nemec II (AI) 5,017 2.1% 222 0.1%
1998 Don Young (Incumbent) 139,676 62.6% Jim Duncan 77,232 34.6% John J. G. Grames 5,923 2.7% 469 0.2%
2000 Don Young (Incumbent) 190,862 69.6% Clifford Mark Greene 45,372 16.5% Anna C. Young 22,440 8.2% Leonard J. Karpinski 4,802 1.8% Jim Dore (AI) 10,085 3.7% 832 0.3%
2002 Don Young (Incumbent) 169,685 74.5% Clifford Mark Greene 39,357 17.3% Russell deForest 14,435 6.3% Rob Clift 3,797 1.7% 291 0.1%
2004 Don Young (Incumbent) 213,216 71.1% Thomas M. Higgins 67,074 22.4% Timothy A. Feller 11,434 3.8% Alvin A. Anders 7,157 2.4% 1,115 0.4%
2006 Don Young (Incumbent) 132,743 56.6% Diane E. Benson 93,879 40% Eva Ince 1,819 0.8% Alexander Crawford 4,029 1.7% William Ratigan 1,615 0.7% 560 0.2%
2008 Don Young (Incumbent) 158,939 50.1% Ethan Berkowitz 142,560 45% Don Wright 14,274 4.5% 1,205 0.4%
2010 Don Young (Incumbent) 175,384 69% Harry Crawford 77,606 30.5% 1,345 0.5%
Year Republican Democratic Green Libertarian Others Write-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
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Don Young (incumbent) 185,296 63.94 −5.02
Democratic Sharon Cissna 82,927 28.62 −1.89
Libertarian Jim McDermott 15,028 5.19 +5.19
Independent Ted Gianoutsos 5,589 1.93 +1.93
Independent Write-in votes 964 0.33 −0.20
Republican hold Swing
Turnout 289,804

2014
2014 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Don Young (incumbent) 142,260 50.95 −12.99
Democratic Forrest Dunbar 114,317 40.94 +12.32
Libertarian Jim McDermott 21,373 7.65 +2.46
Independent Write-in votes 1,269 0.45 +0.12
Republican hold Swing
Turnout 279,219

2016
2016 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Don Young (incumbent) 155,088 50.32 −0.63
Democratic Steve Lindbeck 111,019 36.02 −4.92
Libertarian Jim McDermott 31,770 10.31 +2.66
Independent Bernie Souphanavong 9,093 2.95 +2.95
Independent Write-in votes 1,228 0.40 -0.05
Republican hold Swing
Turnout 308,198

2018
2018 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Don Young (incumbent) 149,779 53.08 +2.76%
Independent Alyse S. Galvin[lower-alpha 1] 131,199 46.50 +10.48%
Write-in 1,188 0.42 +0.02%
Total votes 282,166 100 N/A

2020
2020 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Don Young (incumbent) 192,126 54.40 +1.32%
Independent Alyse S. Galvin[lower-alpha 1] 159,856 45.26 −1.24%
Write-in 1,183 0.34 −0.08%
Total votes 353,165 100 N/A

2022 special
2022 Alaska's at-large congressional district special election
Party Candidate Round 1 Round 2
Votes  % Transfer Votes  %
Democratic Mary Peltola 74,807 39.66% +16,399 91,206 51.47%
Republican Sarah Palin 58,328 30.93% +27,659 85,987 48.53%
Republican Nick Begich III 52,504 27.84% -52,504 Eliminated
Write-in 2,971 1.58% -2,971 Eliminated
Total votes 188,610 100.00% 177,193 94.29%
Inactive ballots 0 0.00% +10,726 10,726 5.71%
Democratic gain from Republican

2022
2022 Alaska's at-large congressional district election[10]
Party Candidate Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
Votes  % Transfer Votes  % Transfer Votes  %
Democratic Mary Peltola (incumbent) 128,329 48.68% +1,038 129,433 49.20% +7,460 136,893 54.94%
Republican Sarah Palin 67,732 25.74% +1,064 69,242 26.32% +43,013 112,255 45.06%
Republican Nick Begich III 61,431 23.34% +1,988 64,392 24.48% -64,392 Eliminated
Libertarian Chris Bye 4,560 1.73% -4,560 Eliminated
Write-in 1,096 0.42% -1,096 Eliminated
Total votes 263,148 100.00% 263,067 100.00% 249,148 100.00%
Inactive ballots 2,193 0.83% +906 3,097 1.16% +14,765 17,016 5.55%
Democratic hold

Notes
  1. Also listed as having the Democratic nomination.

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 October 5, 2023.
  4. Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  5. "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.

64°N 153°W

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