United States Senate election in Alaska, 2022 (August 16 top-four primary)

Elections in Alaska, 2022

* Primary date: Aug. 16
* Mail-in registration deadline: July 17
* Online reg. deadline: July 17
* In-person reg. deadline: July 17

* Early voting starts: Aug. 1
* Early voting ends: Aug. 15
* Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
* Absentee/mail-in deadline: Aug. 16

* * *

On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Congressional special elections • Governor • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Recalls •

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U.S. Senate, Alaska

Top-four primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 1, 2022
Primary: August 16, 2022
General: November 8, 2022

* * *

Pre-election incumbent:
Lisa Murkowski (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Alaska
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022
See also
U.S. Senate, Alaska
U.S. Senate • At-large
Alaska elections, 2022
U.S. Congress elections, 2022
U.S. Senate elections, 2022
U.S. House elections, 2022

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Nineteen candidates ran in the top-four Senate primary in Alaska on August 16, 2022. Incumbent Lisa Murkowski (R), Kelly Tshibaka (R), Patricia Chesbro (D), and Buzz Kelley (R) advanced to the general election.

This was the first time the top-four primary was used in a Senate race since Alaska voters approved the concept in 2020. Under this system, all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, run in a single primary election. The four candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election, where the winner is decided using ranked-choice voting. To learn more about this election system, click here.

The 19 candidates included eight Republicans, three Democrats, one Libertarian, five independents, and two Alaskan Independence Party candidates.

FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver wrote it was likely at least two Republican candidates and a Democratic one would advance to the general election. [1]

Murkowski, the incumbent since 2002, had the endorsements of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R), fellow Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R), and Sens. Joe Manchin (D) and Kyrsten Sinema (D).[2][3][4][5]

Tshibaka, a former commissioner at the Alaska Department of Administration had the endorsements of former President Donald Trump (R) and the Alaska Republican Party.[6][7]

At the time of the primary, Chesbro was an educator from Palmer, and Kelley was a retired mechanic from Wasilla.[8][9]

Other candidates who reported raising funds for the election or had been named in public polling were:

* Huhnkie Lee (I), a computer programmer and attorney;[8]
* Shoshana Gungurstein (I), a businesswoman;[10]
* Sean Thorne (L), a U.S. Army veteran;[11]
* and Dustin Darden (Alaskan Independence Party), a maintenance worker and 2018 candidate for the Alaska House of Representatives.[12]

At the time of the primary, three election forecasters rated the general election Solid or Safe Republican.

Murkowski's father, Frank Murkowski (R), was senator from 1981 to 2002, when he resigned to become governor of Alaska. After taking office, the elder Murkowski appointed his daughter to the U.S. Senate seat. In 2010, after losing the Republican nomination, Lisa Murkowski successfully ran for re-election as a write-in candidate. As of 2022, she was one of two U.S. Senators, alongside South Carolina's Strom Thurmond in 1954, to have been elected as a write-in candidate.

Patricia Chesbro (D), Shoshana Gungurstein (Independent), Huhnkie Lee (Independent), Karl Speights (R), and Joe Stephens (Alaskan Independence Party) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.

This page focuses on Alaska's United States Senate top-four primary. For more in-depth information on the general election, see the following page:

* United States Senate election in Alaska, 2022

## Contents

* 1 Election news
* 2 Candidates and election results
* 3 Sample ballot
* 4 Candidate comparison
* 4.1 Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
* 4.2 Campaign websites
* 5 News and conflicts in this primary
* 6 Noteworthy endorsements
* 7 Election competitiveness
* 7.1 Polls
* 7.2 General election race ratings
* 8 Election spending
* 8.1 Campaign finance
* 8.2 Satellite spending
* 9 Alaska's top-four primary/ranked-choice voting general election system
* 10 Election analysis
* 11 Presidential elections
* 11.1 Cook PVI by congressional district
* 11.2 2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines
* 11.3 2012-2020
* 11.4 Historical voting trends
* 12 Statewide elections
* 12.1 U.S. Senate elections
* 12.2 Gubernatorial elections
* 13 State partisanship
* 13.1 Congressional delegation
* 13.2 State executive
* 13.3 State legislature
* 13.3.1 Alaska State Senate
* 13.3.2 Alaska House of Representatives
* 13.4 Trifecta control
* 14 Demographics
* 14.1 Election context
* 14.1.1 Ballot access requirements
* 14.1.2 Alaska U.S. Senate history
* 14.1.2.1 2016
* 14.1.2.2 2010
* 14.1.2.3 2004
* 14.2 Ranked-choice voting in the U.S.
* 14.2.1 History of RCV in the states
* 14.2.1.1 Maine (2016, 2018)
* 14.2.1.2 Massachusetts (2020)
* 14.2.1.3 Alaska (2020)
* 14.2.2 State and local use
* 14.3 2022 battleground elections
* 14.4 See also
* 14.5 External links
* 14.6 Footnotes

## Election news[edit]

Click below to view a timeline leading up to the election.

* Election news (June 2021-July 2022)

* July 15, 2022: Campaign finance reports current through June 30 showed two candidates had raised more than $100,000: Murkowski had raised $7.5 million this cycle and $9.2 million through her term, and Tshibaka had raised $3.1 million.[13]
* April 7, 2022: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) endorsed Murkowski.[14]
* July 10, 2021: The Alaska Republican Party (R) endorsed Tshibaka.[15]
* June 18, 2021: President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Tshibaka.[16]

## Candidates and election results[edit]

#### Nonpartisan primary election

##### Nonpartisan primary for U.S. Senate Alaska

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Lisa Murkowski (R) |

45.0

| 85,794

| Kelly Tshibaka (R) |

38.5

| 73,414

| Patricia Chesbro (D) |

6.8

| 12,989

| Buzz Kelley (R) |

2.1

| 4,055

Submit photo

| Pat Nolin (R) |

1.1

| 2,004

| Edgar Blatchford (D) |

1.0

| 1,981

| Ivan Taylor (D) |

1.0

| 1,897

| Samuel Merrill (R) |

0.8

| 1,529

| Sean Thorne (L) |

0.7

| 1,399

| Shoshana Gungurstein (Independent) |

0.4

| 853

| Joe Stephens (Alaskan Independence Party) |

0.4

| 805

| John Schiess (R) |

0.4

| 734

| Dustin Darden (Alaskan Independence Party) |

0.3

| 649

| Kendall Shorkey (R) |

0.3

| 627

| Karl Speights (R) |

0.3

| 613

Submit photo

| Jeremy Keller (Independent) |

0.2

| 405

| Sid Hill (Independent) |

0.1

| 274

| Huhnkie Lee (Independent) |

0.1

| 238

Submit photo

| David Darden (Independent) |

0.1

| 198

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 190,458

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* Sam Little (R)
* Elvi Gray-Jackson (D)
* Shellie Wyatt (Alaskan Independence Party)

## Sample ballot[edit]

The following sample ballot is from the Alaska Division of Elections.[17]

## Candidate comparison[edit]

### Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses[edit]

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Patricia Chesbro (D)

The long-term effort to deny or diminish the rights of women to choose their own health care is frightening and outrageous. The leaked draft decision of the United States Supreme Court is unprecedented. Women are wise and understand their own life circumstances. Women have many reasons to choose to begin or end a pregnancy and those decisions should be decided upon by the woman and her doctor. The government should have absolutely no say or role in determining whether a woman can be permitted to have an abortion.

Education is vital to a healthy democracy. As such, our education system must be vibrant and robust. Every student must be challenged to learn and think. Our current environment is awash with lies and hatred. People who are bent on destroying democracy use propaganda and to make our children feel like victims in their own country. Those that spew disinformation count on building fear and distrust. Good classroom teaching engages students in analyzing information so that they have the tools to question those lies and half-truths. Good classroom teaching prepares young people to be confident citizens who believe they have a voice in their own future.

Every world citizen must commit to restoring health to the world’s natural environment. Elected officials are especially important in this effort. The science is clear that our Earth is endangered by human practices. The United States, for example, seems especially reluctant to both admit our role in a warming climate, rising seas, unpredictable weather, air and water pollution, increased wildfires and the many effects of our extensive use of fossil fuels. We cannot turn off the spigot on fossil fuels. We can invest in our future through developing our renewable resources to create the energy on which we depend. We can learn about our personal life choices to ensure a healthy planet.

Shoshana Gungurstein (Independent)

Prosperity and generational wealth for all Alaskans.

Responsible resource development with environmental stewardship.

Individual Liberty, Privacy, and Freedom for all Alaskans.

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

Alaska has few problems, as Alaska is doing better than other states.

But we can create jobs for Alaskan children by developing mining and farming.

Let us mine metals, minerals, oil and gas; let us farm bears, moose, lobsters, razor clams, in environmentally sound fashion!

Karl Speights (R)

I WILL STAND AND FIGHT ...AS THE PATRIOT'S VOICE

I LOVE GOD, COUNTRY, AND THE AMERICAN FAMILY; every Leftist-One World Government attack is against those three!,

OUR FORE FATHERS WARNED US ...TAKE GOD OUT OF AMERICA, AND YOU WILL DESTROY AMERICA

Joe Stephens (Alaskan Independence)

Make Alaska Great Again

Building Bridges to Somewhere

Supporting the Veterans - 10 acres of free federal land

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Patricia Chesbro (D)

Health care policy is an overarching concern. Public policy must address the burgeoning opioid crisis as well as the increasing maternal mortality rate, especially among women of color. However, public policy also must address the assault, often in the name of religion, on women’s reproductive choices. Public policy should not be decided on religious grounds.

Education policy is largely a state responsibility. However, the federal government must create policies that protect students and ensure that schools provide equitable treatment and opportunities for all. Further, federal dollars must support federal mandates. Environment policy has become even more vital as we witness the dire effects of climate change. These policies are and should be regulatory. Yet incentives must also be embedded in environmental policies. Finally, we should rigorously evaluate policies to assess their effectiveness in solving the problems they intend to solve.

Shoshana Gungurstein (Independent)

Economic development and conservative fiscal policy; responsible resource development while increasing renewable energy; land management; smart Infrastructure; education; environment; national security; and social welfare.

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

As a senator, I will remove laws that prohibit farming of wild Alaskan animals. Unlike old days, we technological advancements that will enable us to farm animals once impossible to farm. We can farm edible seaweeds, clams, cronks, king crabs, lobsters, oysters and export them to Americas, Russia, Asia, and Europe.

We can explore possibility of developing nuclear icebreakers (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear-powered_icebreaker), to open up the northern Arctic trade/tourist route, in order to take advantage of global warming. We will build harbors and hotels in arctic Alaska to accommodate international maritime travelers.

We can farm black/white/brown bears in big Alaskan lands with fences in Safari style. Bear farms will serve as drive-through safaris and feeding zoos where patrons bring food to feed bears themselves, safely. We can take bear cubs to rent them out as pets and take them back after they grow big, so that they continue to produce baby bears in bear farms. After bears pass reproductive ages, we will harvest them to sell furs, meat, bones, and organs.

We can farm all Alaskan berries, which are known to have higher levels of vitamins and minerals than berries elsewhere. Salmon berries and Red Currants, if farmed, will have international appeal, as their texture and taste are beyond imagination.

We will emphasize education in our children and show them how fun it is to learn science, arts, history, sports, and foreign languages.

Karl Speights (R)

Sovereignty, close our borders. Financial Collapse, close the Federal Reserve. Terrorism; close the monopolies of social media, close the monopolies-oligarchs of technology, close the pharmaceutical's evil agenda, stop bio weaponization, stop globalist's agenda over food, wars, lies, mis-information, population control-monitoring and humanism-terrorism ( LGBTQIA, abortions, re-education, and more). There are two parties (not political) that I'm aware of-passionate about; The first is God's Party; HIS agenda is in place and will be fulfilled. The second Party (Revelation Chapter 2: verse 9; and Chapter 3: verse 9;_"...those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, and are NOT, but lie..." Time is running out. They (liars) want an unarmed American citizenry, in order to make us Global Citizens. It's the Socialist/Communist manifesto. Wake up, America!

Joe Stephens (Alaskan Independence)

My name is legally Joe Trump AKA Not Murkowski Stephens. I changed my name to show my support of

Trump and my rejection of the current Senator Murkowski. I Support the Trump initiatives. I Support building the Wall. I Support tariffs against China. I Support the Space Force. If elected Senator I will see that these initiatives are successfully implemented for the good of the American People. I also support the Veterans of the U.S. Armed forces. My first initiative in Congress will be to see that all Veterans in the State of Alaska receive 10 free acres of federal land. I will also ensure that VA clinics are constructed in all cities in the State of Alaska. I propose that the State of Alaska support the creation of a Medical School. We need to train the best and brightest students to face future pandemics. The reliance on the federal government for all our medical needs has proven to be disastrous. High gas prices, high inflation, ongoing pandemics these are the problems that the current leadership has failed to address. Their failures should not be continuously rewarded with re-election. I will ensure that the oil industry is allowed to drill for new oil wells and the industry has full government support. I will fight to ensure that the citizens of Alaska get paid the maximum Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD)

amount that they deserve. With record high oil prices, the citizens of Alaska deserve to be paid.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

I like philosopher kings and scientific kings who are well read, knowledgeable, and can think independently. King Solomon of Israel, Sejong the Great of Korea, and Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are some of such wise, smart, and strong kings. I think the most ideal political leader is one who is conversant in history, knowledgeable in science, and who can teach good knowledge to the public, and who is humble enough to learn from the people as well.

An ideal political leader is someone who can solve real world problems in a creative way. Working 80 hours a week leaves a person no room to think creatively. To solve challenging problem, we need to sit back, think about it, and come up with a bold, brand-new solution. Today’s American politics is mostly about money and elected officials working overtime. And we don’t see those officials solving real world problems well. It’s because they don’t know how to be creative.

When I was in US Army, I learned from my Sergeants that we ought to work smarter, not harder. It’s quality, not quantity, of work that matters and that solve problems. As a former computer programmer, I was trained to solve problems. I believe God created problems so we solve them.

Karl Speights (R)

My grand parents, the Olivers. Also, Louis Lamoure the western author. They/He lived life to the fullest.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Karl Speights (R)

The Bible

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Patricia Chesbro (D)

Above all, elected officials must be honest truthtellers. They must be willing to listen and consider views that do not parallel their own. They must act for the greater good rather than their reelection, working to find compromise when necessary.

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

I think that the foremost quality of an elected official is morality, including honesty. Some candidates tend to hide their reasons why they’re running for an office. Me? I’m running for Senate because I want to be famous and I want to be the president of the US one day. Why? Because I want to lead the effort to better the world and I think I can do the job better than anyone can. Also, I think it’ll be fun to work as a senator in order to experiment with some business ideas, like farming lobsters and bears and berries in Alaska. Are those the only reason I’m running? Well, I do care about children of Alaska and of the world. I want to do my part in making this world perhaps just a little bit better. Actually, I’m more ambitious than that. Yes, I want to see this world be absolutely saved. I want to see zero crimes, zero hunger, zero homelessness. Do I believe that it is possible to achieve such high goals in our lifetimes? Yes, I do. That’s why I’m running.

Karl Speights (R)

Honesty.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

I like learning from books and from people. I also like education people as well. I believe in creativity and creativity can only comes from leisure. As a senator, I will work only 40 hours a week. I will need spare time to relax and think things through on my own as always. I will live frugally, as always. Not much will change in my life. This way, I will represent 99% of the common people in Alaska, because I am and will still be one of them.

Karl Speights (R)

35+ years experience working to resolve issues; financial, programmatic, humanitarian, crisis response, natural disaster relief, and peace making/keeping. To name a few.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Karl Speights (R)

Believe in American's liberties, and freedoms.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Karl Speights (R)

I was truly a public servant.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Patricia Chesbro (D)

We were in Latin class when the principal announced that JFK had been shot in Dallas. At that moment the world went silent. School was dismissed and we went home to watch, again and again, footage of the terrible scene. Soon we learned that our young, vibrant President had died from the gunshot wound. We watched Jackie Kennedy, in her blood-stained pink suit, witness the swearing in of Lyndon Johnson. We continued to watch as John Jr. saluted the funeral procession. I will never forget the unspeakable sadness and disbelief surrounding this time.

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

I think I was about 8 years old in Seoul, Korea. I was walking back home from school and college students in their late teens or early twenties were protesting on the streets, against the South Korean government that they thought to be corrupt. Police officers deployed tear gas and the young collegiate protesters were throwing things at police officers. It was chaotic.

Karl Speights (R)

In 1960, our cub scouts pack took the Russian Train to Berlin, and we heard - watched President John F. Kennedy speak to the military and west-German people about evils of Communist Russia, in east-Germany. They were building a wall to stop east-Germans from escaping to freedom in the west.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

I was born in America in 1978 and grew up in S. Korea till 1997 when I graduated high school in Seoul. I moved to Madison Wisconsin to study computer science, but my English was too poor to attend university classes. So, I took some semesters off and worked full time, as a bagger and a parking lot shopping cart collector in a supermarket in 1997-1998. In my spare time, I studied English on my own by memorizing the lyrics of Beatles, Beach Boys, Bee Gees, Beautiful South, etc. I watched movies and TVs with close captioned subtitle on. After a year or so, I was able to return to school and take classes.

Karl Speights (R)

I've been working since I was ten. Five jobs; babysitting, walking dogs, taking out trash and carrying up laundry in our military base housing for neighbors. I also sold and collected used cowboy paperbacks, mystery, romance and detective paperbacks. Made $4.00 a week (1963), selling 3 books for a quarter, and asking for any books they needed to get rid of; kept my inventory rotating-growing. Got tips for odd jobs mentioned.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Patricia Chesbro (D)

I recently read Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. As I finished, I wished I had a classroom of teenagers to join me in delving into this book. It depicts characters from different time periods in different circumstances that share some common life journeys. It is layered with meaning and symbolism. One recurring symbol is that of an owl. Owls live within darkness and represent mystery, wisdom, and ancient knowledge. Interestingly, the day after I finished the book, we sighted an owl perched on a tree in front of my house.

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

Bible. I don’t think it’s a perfect book and I do not agree with every lesson in it: I even disagree with some of the things that Jesus said. But overall, I think Bible contains a treasure load of good teachings.

Karl Speights (R)

riders of the purple sage; zane grey

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

I’d be a Sherlock Holmes when I solve problems, and play an Arsene Lupin when I entertain the crowd.

Karl Speights (R)

the count of monte cristo

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

I just called to say I love you, by Stevie Wonder

Karl Speights (R)

the Boxer

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Karl Speights (R)

Injuries, and lifelong pain. Also, working around/with immoral people or unqualified leaders.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

I think America is too divided. What America needs now is maturity, as too many adult Americans are acting like children on a playground, throwing snow balls at each other. If Americans learn to work together, overcoming individual differences, Americans can solve any problems there may be.

Karl Speights (R)

The rise of indoctrinated socialism's policies, laws, and divisive globalist agenda.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Patricia Chesbro (D)

I believe that elected officials should first be citizens. Election should not be seen as a career, but as service. Further, I believe that long term legislators appear to become more in tune with reelection than with serving their constituents. I am for term limits.

Karl Speights (R)

No more than two terms.

What qualities does the U.S. Senate possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

US senatorial job would be an interesting one. If elected, I’d mostly work to enhance Alaska and solve problems in Alaska. For instance, we need to repeal or amend all the federal and state laws that prohibit farming of wild animals and plants in Alaska. We will also should work with national and state advocacy groups for environmental conservation and animal rights, so that Alaska’s new farming practices are environmentally sound and humane.

As a senator, I will bring ideologically diverse people together so that we will reach a perfect solution. I will work with both conservatives and liberalists so that our solution would satisfy every single one in the room. We can achieve this goal only when we respect people who disagree with us, and at the very least try to understand where they come from, and what’s the rationale behind their objection to our ideas. After we hear their conscientious objections, we can modify our solutions to accommodate their concerns and such process is actually a very constructive and healthy one. That’d be my approach.

Karl Speights (R)

It's a Bulwark Against corrupted self-serving laws being passed. Without, approval and funding by the Senate laws can't be implemented. Yet, both houses of Congress continue to pass more pork than the needs of constituents.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

Prior experience may shorten the time for a re-elected official, as a newly elected official would need some time to adjust and learn the new job.

Karl Speights (R)

Not when they become institutionalized rulers and authoritarians instead on Public Servants. Politics has become a corrupted institution of wealth, greed, dark money and favors. The "WE THE PEOPLE" requirement appears to be an after-thought, or missing in the political environment.

What do you think of the filibuster?

Patricia Chesbro (D)

One of the strengths of the Senate is that it gives each state, no matter how populated, equal say in the proceedings of the body. One of the weaknesses of the Senate is that states such as Alaska, whose senators represent a small population, have as much say as much more populous states, such as California. The current use of the filibuster has been weaponized against the American people. Those that represent the fewer have diminished the voice of the many. No other country has a rule, made by the legislative body itself, that requires sixty percent positive votes to pass legislation. This is a Senate rule that must be abandoned.

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

The way I understand is, filibuster is a device that some senators use in order to block a legislation by speaking for a very long time on the senate floor. I understand and respect the passions of some legislators, but personally, I would not spend too much time with making laws. Don’t you think we have enough laws already? I think it probably is more helpful to eliminate regulatory laws than make new and new, more and more laws.

Legislation is not the best solution to every problem out there. Mostly, I will work with diverse sectors in society and connect the dots to solve problems. To make a project work, for instance Pebble Mine Resurrection Project, I’d talk to investors, private companies, state/federal officials and legislators, fishermen, and local residents in the Bristol Bay. I’d listen to them, ask them questions, and study the issue, discuss and brainstorm to find the best way to let the Pebble company start building the mine there. Governmental officials, all they need to do is say yes, and give it the stamp of approval. Then the mining professionals and investors will do the rest of work, create jobs, and start making money for Alaska.

Karl Speights (R)

Keep it.

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

I would be resume-blind. That is, when it comes to confirming presidential appointees, I will not look at what schools they went to, what previous jobs that they had. I will neither vote for nor against an appointee, only because she went to or not went to a top school in the nation, only because he used to work or not work for a top governmental agency or a huge corporation with illustrious positions. The only thing I will look at is the appointee’s character. I’d look to answer the following questions: is this person honest; does this person care more about the people or about one’s own political ambition; does this person have good judgment and common sense; does this person have enough knowledge and if not can this person learn fast, etc.

Karl Speights (R)

Make sure they love America and the Constitution.

If you are not a current senator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

Karl Speights (R)

All of them. I have personal interests in every committee.

If you are a current senator, why did you join your current committees?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

Is there a particular senator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

From what I’ve learned, Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska was a highly capable and caring senator. So yes, he’d be a good role model for any candidates out there, including myself //:-)

Karl Speights (R)

Nope, I don't like copy-cats.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

Well, this is a tough one. I expect I’ll lose a lot of voters after this. One day, my all-American friends, who were born and raised in America, asked me, as they know I grew up in S. Korea till I was 18. They asked me,

“Hey dude, you’ve eaten dogs in Korea?” “Ahh… yes.” “How many?” “Ahh… three.” “How do they taste?” “Ahh… they taste like… your best friends.”

//x-D

Karl Speights (R)

can't, its copyrighted

How would you evaluate a judicial nominee?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

Again, I would not pay attention to the judicial nominee’s resume. I would not care what school s/he went to, what jobs s/he had previously. All I’d require is that s/he has passed a state’s bar exam and is a lawyer. After that, I’d see if the person has a good character, morality, ethics, and intelligence.

Karl Speights (R)

Look to see if they love America and the Constitution.

What kind of relationships would you build with other senators?

Huhnkie Lee (Independent)

I will be totally bipartisan, 100%. I will not look at other senators’ party affiliations.

Karl Speights (R)

Depends on who they are and what they stand for.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Karl Speights (R)

Depends on the policy.

### Campaign websites[edit]

The following candidates had active campaign websites as of July 22, 2022. If you know of a campaign website we're missing, please email us.

* Murkowski
* Chesbro
* Gungurstein
* Kelley
* Merrill
* Speights
* Taylor
* Thorne
* Tshibaka

## News and conflicts in this primary[edit]

This race was featured in The Heart of the Primaries, a newsletter capturing stories related to conflicts within each major party. Click here to read more about conflict in this and other 2022 Senate primaries. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter.

* Heart of the Primaries 2022, Democrats-Issue 37 (September 1, 2022)
* Heart of the Primaries 2022, Republicans-Issue 30 (July 7, 2022)

## Noteworthy endorsements[edit]

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Primary endorsements

Endorser |  Lisa Murkowski |  Kelly Tshibaka
Government officials
Sen. John Barrasso (R) source | ✔ |
Sen. Joe Manchin III source | ✔ |
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) source | ✔ |
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema source | ✔ |
Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan (R) source | ✔ |
South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem source |  | ✔
State Sen. Natasha A. Von Imhof (R) source | ✔ |
State Sen. Gary Stevens (R) source | ✔ |
State Rep. Bryce Edgmon source | ✔ |
State Rep. Zack Fields (D) source | ✔ |
State Rep. Neal Foster (D) source | ✔ |
State Rep. Daniel Ortiz source | ✔ |
Alaska House Speaker Louise Stutes (R) | ✔ |
State Rep. Adam Wool (D) source | ✔ |
Individuals
Frmr. President Donald Trump source |  | ✔
Donald Trump Jr. source |  | ✔
Organizations
Alaska AFL-CIO source | ✔ |
Alaska National Education Association source | ✔ |
Conservative Political Action Coalition source |  | ✔
Maggie's List source |  | ✔
National Republican Senatorial Committee source | ✔ |
Oil & Gas Workers Association source |  | ✔
Pro-Israel America PAC source | ✔ |
Republican Party of Alaska source |  | ✔
Senate Leadership Fund source | ✔ |

## Election competitiveness[edit]

### Polls[edit]

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.

### General election race ratings[edit]

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

* Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
* Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
* Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[18]
* Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[19][20][21]

Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Alabama, 2022

Race tracker| Race ratings
| November 8, 2022| November 1, 2022| October 25, 2022| October 18, 2022
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter| Solid Republican| Solid Republican| Solid Republican| Solid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales| Solid Republican| Solid Republican| Solid Republican| Solid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball| Safe Republican| Safe Republican| Safe Republican| Safe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

## Election spending[edit]

### Campaign finance[edit]

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[22] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[23] Click here to view the reporting schedule for candidates for U.S. Congress in 2022.

U.S. Congress campaign reporting schedule, 2022

Report  | Close of books  | Filing deadline
Year-end 2021 | 12/31/2021 | 1/31/2022
April quarterly | 3/31/2022 | 4/15/2022
July quarterly | 6/30/2022 | 7/15/2022
October quarterly | 9/30/2022 | 10/15/2022
Pre-general | 10/19/2022 | 10/27/2022
Post-general | 11/28/2022 | 12/08/2022
Year-end 2022 | 12/31/2022 | 1/31/2023

Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date

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Lisa Murkowski | Republican Party | $11,296,273 | $10,729,705 | $657,686 |  As of December 31, 2022
Edgar Blatchford | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Patricia Chesbro | Democratic Party | $188,577 | $180,947 | $7,630 |  As of December 31, 2022
Ivan Taylor | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Buzz Kelley | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Samuel Merrill | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Pat Nolin | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
John Schiess | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Kendall Shorkey | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Karl Speights | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Kelly Tshibaka | Republican Party | $6,011,432 | $5,960,180 | $51,252 |  As of December 31, 2022
Dustin Darden | Alaskan Independence Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Joe Stephens | Alaskan Independence Party | $71 | $71 | $0 |  As of December 31, 2022
Sean Thorne | Libertarian Party | $4,842 | $4,842 | $0 |  As of August 26, 2022
David Darden | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Shoshana Gungurstein | Independent | $32,700 | $32,480 | $-44 |  As of November 11, 2022
Sid Hill | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Jeremy Keller | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***
Huhnkie Lee | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2022. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

### Satellite spending[edit]

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[24][25][26]

If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.

* Open Secrets - United States Senate election in Alaska, 2022
* Federal Election Commission - United States Senate election in Alaska, 2022

## Alaska's top-four primary/ranked-choice voting general election system[edit]

See also: Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)

In 2020, voters in Alaska passed Ballot Measure 2 in a 50.55%-49.45% vote. The measure established open top-four primaries for state executive, state legislative, and congressional offices and ranked-choice voting for general elections, including presidential elections. As a result, the 2022 special and regular U.S. House elections were conducted as follows.

In each race, all primary candidates ran in a single primary election, regardless of the candidate's party affiliation. The four candidates that received the most votes advanced to the general election.[27] As of 2022, California and Washington used a top-two system for primaries.

At the general election, voters used ranked-choice voting. They could rank the four candidates that advanced from their top-four primaries. A candidate needed a simple majority of the vote (50%+1) to be declared the winner of an election. Under this system, if no candidate wins a simple majority of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. People who voted for that candidate as their first choice have their votes redistributed to their second choice. The tabulation process continues until there are two candidates remaining, and the candidate with the greatest number of votes wins.[27]

## Election analysis[edit]

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

* Presidential elections \- Information about presidential elections in the state.
* Statewide elections \- Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
* State partisanship \- The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
* Demographics \- Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.

# Presidential elections[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in Alaska and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

### Cook PVI by congressional district[edit]

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Alaska, 2022

District | Incumbent | Party | PVI
Alaska's At-Large | Vacant |  Republican | R+8

### 2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines[edit]

2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2022 district lines, Alaska[28]

District  | Joe Biden | Donald Trump
Alaska's At-Large | 43.0% | 53.1%

### 2012-2020[edit]

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:

County-level voting pattern categories

Democratic
Status  | 2012  | 2016  | 2020
Solid Democratic | D | D | D
Trending Democratic | R | D | D
Battleground Democratic | D | R | D
New Democratic | R | R | D
Republican
Status  | 2012  | 2016  | 2020
Solid Republican | R | R | R
Trending Republican | D | R | R
Battleground Republican | R | D | R
New Republican | D | D | R

Ballotpedia could not produce this analysis for Alaska, which does not have counties but rather 19 boroughs and one unorganized borough. Presidential election results are not recorded by borough, but rather using 40 election districts throughout the state. Overall, Alaska was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020.

### Historical voting trends[edit]

Alaska presidential election results (1900-2020)

* 1 Democratic win
* 15 Republican wins

Year  | 1900  | 1904  | 1908  | 1912  | 1916  | 1920  | 1924  | 1928  | 1932  | 1936  | 1940  | 1944  | 1948  | 1952  | 1956  | 1960  | 1964  | 1968  | 1972  | 1976  | 1980  | 1984  | 1988  | 1992  | 1996  | 2000  | 2004  | 2008  | 2012  | 2016  | 2020

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Winning Party | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R

# Statewide elections[edit]

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

### U.S. Senate elections[edit]

See also: List of United States Senators from Alaska

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Alaska.

U.S. Senate election results in Alaska

Race  | Winner  | Runner up
2020 | 53.9% | 41.2% (Independent)
2016 | 44.5% | 29.2%
2014 | 48.0% | 45.8%
2010 | 39.5% | 35.5%
2008 | 47.8% | 46.6%
Average  | 46.7  | 39.7

### Gubernatorial elections[edit]

See also: Governor of Alaska

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Alaska.

Gubernatorial election results in Alaska

Race  | Winner  | Runner up
2018 | 51.4% | 44.4%
2014 | 48.1% (Independent) | 45.9%
2010 | 59.1% | 37.7%
2006 | 48.3% | 41.0%
2002 | 55.9% | 40.7%
Average  | 52.6  | 41.9

# State partisanship[edit]

### Congressional delegation[edit]

The table below displays the partisan composition of Alaska's congressional delegation as of November 2022.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Alaska, November 2022

Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total
Democratic | 0 | 1 | 1
Republican | 2 | 0 | 2
Independent | 0 | 0 | 0
Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0
Total | 2 | 1 | 3

### State executive[edit]

The table below displays the officeholders in Alaska's top three state executive offices as of November 2022.

State executive officials in Alaska, November 2022

Office | Officeholder
Governor |  Mike Dunleavy
Lieutenant Governor |  Kevin Meyer
Attorney General |  Treg Taylor

### State legislature[edit]

The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Alaska State Legislature as of November 2022.

#### Alaska State Senate[edit]

Party  | As of November 2022

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| Democratic Party | 7
| Republican Party | 13
| Vacancies  | 0
Total |  20

#### Alaska House of Representatives[edit]

Party  | As of November 2022

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| Democratic Party | 15
| Republican Party | 21
| Independent  | 3
| Nonpartisan  | 1
| Vacancies  | 0
Total |  40

### Trifecta control[edit]

As of November 2022, Alaska was a divided government, with Republicans controlling the state senate and governorship and a split house. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.

Alaska Party Control: 1992-2022
No Democratic trifectas • Six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year  | 92  | 93  | 94  | 95  | 96  | 97  | 98  | 99  | 00  | 01  | 02  | 03  | 04  | 05  | 06  | 07  | 08  | 09  | 10  | 11  | 12  | 13  | 14  | 15  | 16  | 17  | 18  | 19  | 20  | 21  | 22

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Governor | I | I | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | I | I | I | R | R | R | R
Senate | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R
House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | S | S | S | S

# Demographics[edit]

The table below details demographic data in Alaska and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.

Demographic Data for Alaska

| Alaska | United States
Population | 710,231 | 308,745,538
Land area (sq mi) | 571,019 | 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White | 64.6% | 72.5%
Black/African American | 3.3% | 12.7%
Asian | 6.2% | 5.5%
Native American | 14.9% | 0.8%
Pacific Islander | 1.2% | 0.2%
Other (single race) | 1.5% | 4.9%
Multiple | 8.2% | 3.3%
Hispanic/Latino | 7% | 18%
Education
High school graduation rate | 92.8% | 88%
College graduation rate | 29.6% | 32.1%
Income
Median household income | $77,640 | $62,843
Persons below poverty level | 10.7% | 13.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

## Election context[edit]

### Ballot access requirements[edit]

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Alaska in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Alaska, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2022

State  | Office  | Party  | Signatures required  | Filing fee  | Filing deadline  | Source
Alaska | U.S. Senate | All candidates | N/A | $100.00 | 6/1/2022 | Source

### Alaska U.S. Senate history[edit]

#### 2016[edit]

U.S. Senate, Alaska General Election, 2016 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

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| Republican  | Lisa Murkowski Incumbent | 44.4% | 138,149
| Libertarian  |  Joe Miller  | 29.2% | 90,825
| Independent  |  Margaret Stock  | 13.2% | 41,194
| Democratic  |  Ray Metcalfe  | 11.6% | 36,200
| Independent  |  Breck Craig  | 0.8% | 2,609
| Independent  |  Ted Gianoutsos  | 0.6% | 1,758
| N/A  |  Write-in  | 0.2% | 706
Total Votes | 311,441
Source: Alaska Secretary of State

#### 2010[edit]

On November 2, 2010, Lisa Murkowski won re-election to the United States Senate. She defeated Joe Miller (R), Scott T. McAdams (D), Frederick Haase (L), Tim Carter (Nonaffiliated) and Ted Gianoutsos (Nonaffiliated) in the general election.[29]

U.S. Senate, Alaska General Election, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Write-in  | Lisa Murkowski incumbent | 39.7% | 101,091
| Republican  |  Joe Miller  | 35.6% | 90,839
| Democratic  |  Scott T. McAdams  | 23.6% | 60,045
| Libertarian  |  Frederick Haase  | 0.6% | 1,459
| Nonaffiliated  |  Tim Carter  | 0.4% | 927
| Nonaffiliated  |  Ted Gianoutsos  | 0.2% | 458
Total Votes | 254,819

#### 2004[edit]

On November 2, 2004, Lisa Murkowski won re-election to the United States Senate. She defeated Tony Knowles (D), Marc Millican (nonpartisan), Jerry Sanders (Alaskan Independence), Jim Sykes (G), Scott Kohlhaas (Alaska Libertarian) and Ted Gianoutsos (nonpartisan) in the general election.[30]

U.S. Senate, Alaska General Election, 2004

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Lisa Murkowski incumbent | 48.6% | 149,773
| Democratic  |  Tony Knowles  | 45.5% | 140,424
| Nonpartisan  |  Marc Millican  | 2.9% | 8,885
| Alaskan Independence  |  Jerry Sanders  | 1.2% | 3,785
| Green  |  Jim Sykes  | 1% | 3,053
| Alaska Libertarian  |  Scott Kohlhaas  | 0.4% | 1,240
| Nonpartisan  |  Ted Gianoutsos  | 0.2% | 732
| N/A  |  Write-in  | 0.1% | 423
Total Votes | 308,315

## Ranked-choice voting in the U.S.[edit]

### History of RCV in the states[edit]

As of 2022, voters had decided on four ranked-choice voting ballot measures in three states—Alaska, Maine, and Massachusetts.

#### Maine (2016, 2018)[edit]

In 2016, Maine became the first state to pass an RCV ballot measure, Maine Question 5, which established the voting system for congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative primary and general elections.

Legislators passed a bill to repeal Question 5, but the initiative's backers brought the legislation to a public vote through the veto referendum process in 2018. Voters approved Question 1, upholding RCV in Maine.

The Maine State Legislature expanded RCV to presidential elections in 2020. Opponents petitioned a referendum to repeal the legislation but fell about 1,000 signatures short of the requirement.

#### Massachusetts (2020)[edit]

Voters in Massachusetts defeated an RCV ballot initiative in 2020 with 54.8% of the vote. Like Maine Question 5, Massachusetts Question 2 would have established RCV for primary and general elections.

#### Alaska (2020)[edit]

Alaska Measure 2 passed with 50.6% of the vote. Measure 2 was different from Maine's or Massachusetts' RCV initiatives in that primary elections would not use RCV. Instead, Measure 2 replaced partisan primaries with open top-four primaries for state executive, state legislative, and congressional offices. Under Measure 2, voters then use RCV to rank the four candidates at the general election.

### State and local use[edit]

As of July 2025, ranked-choice voting is used in some states and localities across the United States. See the map, tables, and list below for further details. The numbers below do not include states where RCV is used by a political party for partisan primaries, or where military/UOCAVA voters use ranked ballots for runoff elections. For more information on these uses of RCV, see the table beneath the map below.

If you know of any additional U.S. localities using RCV that should be included here, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.[31]

* RCV used statewide: Three states use RCV statewide. Alaska and Maine use RCV in some federal and statewide elections, while Hawaii uses it for certain statewide elections.
* RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities: Fourteen states contain localities that either use or are scheduled to begin using RCV in municipal elections.
* RCV prohibited: Seventeen states have adopted law prohibiting the use of RCV in any elections.
* No laws addressing RCV, not in use: Twenty-two states have no laws addressing RCV, and neither the state nor any localities in the state use it.[32]

The map below shows which states use ranked-choice voting statewide or in some localities as of July 2025. It also shows the states where RCV is either prohibited or not addressed in the law. It does not show states where RCV is used by a political party for partisan primaries, or where military/UOCAVA voters use ranked ballots for runoff elections. See the table beneath the map for details on these uses of RCV.

The table below summarizes the use of ranked-choice voting in the U.S. by state as of July 2025.

Ranked-choice voting usage in U.S. states and localities State | RCV use | Details | State law

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Alabama | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2024 | Alabama Code § 11-46-10, Alabama Code § 17-1-6
Alaska | RCV used statewide | RCV has been authorized for federal and certain statewide elections since 2020 and used since 2022.
RCV was used for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary in this state. | Alaska Statutes § 15-15-350
Arizona | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
Arkansas | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2025 | Arkansas Code § 7-1-116
California | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is used in the following seven localities: Albany, Berkeley, Eureka, Oakland, Palm Desert, San Francisco, and San Leandro.
RCV is also authorized in the following two localities: Ojai (scheduled for use in 2024) and Redondo Beach (scheduled for use in 2025).
Cal. Government Code § 24206 also permits Santa Clara County to use RCV | California Government Code § 24206
Colorado | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is used in the following four localities: Basalt, Boulder, Broomfield, and Carbondale.
RCV is also authorized in the following locality: Fort Collins (scheduled for use in 2025)
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 1-7-118 permits certain municipalities to use RCV for local elections. | Colorado Revised Statutes § 1-7-118.
Connecticut | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
Delaware | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is used in the following locality: Arden
Florida | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2022, blocking its adoption in the following locality: Sarasota | Florida Statutes § 101.019
Georgia | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections | Military/UOCAVA voters use ranked ballots when voting in runoff elections.
Hawaii | RCV used statewide | RCV has been authorized statewide for certain federal and local elections since 2022 and used since 2023.
RCV was used for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary in this state. | Hawaii Revised Statutes § 11-100
Idaho | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2023 | Idaho Statutes § 34-903B
Illinois | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is authorized in the following localities: Evanston (scheduled for use in 2025), Skokie (scheduled for use in 2026), Springfield (only used by overseas absentee voters in local elections)
Indiana | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections
Iowa | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2025 | Iowa Code § 49.93
Kansas | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2025. RCV was used for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary in this state
Kentucky | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2024 | Kentucky Revised Statutes § 117.147
Louisiana | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2024 | Louisiana Revised Statutes § 18:404
Maine | RCV used statewide | RCV has been authorized for federal and statewide elections since 2016 and used since 2018.
Maine has also authorized RCV for all municipal election and it is currently used for these elections in the following localities: Portland, and Westbrook | 30-A Maine Revised Statutes § 2528, sub-§ 10
Maryland | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is used in the following locality: Tacoma Park
Massachusetts | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is used in the following two localities: Cambridge and Easthampton. Cambridge holds the record for the longest continuous use of RCV in the U.S. (1941-present).
RCV is also authorized in the following locality: Amherst (schedule for use is uncertain)
Michigan | No laws addressing RCV, not in use | RCV has been approved, but is not used, in the following localities: Ann Arbor, Ferndale, Kalamazoo, East Lansing, and Royal Oak. Although Michigan does not explicitly prohibit the use of RCV, state election laws prevent the implementation of RCV.

Minnesota | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is used in the following five localities: Bloomington, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, and St. Paul. RCV was also used in the following locality, but it is no longer in use: Hopkins
Mississippi | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2024 | Mississippi Code § 23-15-893
Missouri | RCV prohibited | Missouri voters approved Amendment 7 on November 5, 2024. The constitutional amendment prohibited ranked-choice voting, among other changes to the state's election laws | Article VIII, § 3 of the Missouri Constitution
Montana | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2023 | Montana Code Annotated § 13-1-125
Nebraska | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
Nevada | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections | RCV was used for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary in this state
New Hampshire | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
New Jersey | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
New Mexico | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is used in the following two localities: Las Cruces and Santa Fe | New Mexico Annotated Statutes § 1-22-16
New York | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is used in the following locality: New York City
North Carolina | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
North Dakota | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2025 | North Dakota Century Code § 16.1-01
Ohio | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
Oklahoma | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2024 | Oklahoma Statutes § 26-1-112
Oregon | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is used in the following locality: Benton County and Corvallis.
RCV is also authorized in the following two localities: Multnomah County (scheduled for use in 2026) and Portland (scheduled for use in 2024)
Pennsylvania | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
Rhode Island | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
South Carolina | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections | Military/UOCAVA voters use ranked ballots when voting in runoff elections
South Dakota | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2023 | South Dakota Codified Laws § 12-1-9.1.
Tennessee | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2022, blocking its adoption in the following locality: Memphis | Tennessee Code § 2-8-117
Texas | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
Utah | RCV is used in the following 12 localities as of 2025: Genola, Heber, Kearns, Lehi, Magna, Midvale, Millcreek, Payson, Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Vineyard, and Woodland Hills. The state adopted a pilot program allowing RCV in 2018. The program expires after the 2025 election. |  | Utah Code § 20A-4-603
Vermont | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is used in the following locality: Burlington
Virginia | RCV authorized by state law, but not in use | All localities in Virginia have been authorized to use RCV since 2021. RCV is used for a partisan primary in the following locality: Arlington | Code of Virginia § 24.2-673.1
Washington | RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities | RCV is authorized in the following locality: Seattle (scheduled for use in 2027)
West Virginia | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2025 | West Virginia Code § 3-1-52.
Wisconsin | No state laws addressing RCV, not in use for general elections |
Wyoming | RCV prohibited | RCV was banned by legislation in 2025 | Wyoming Code § 22-2-117

## 2022 battleground elections[edit]

See also: Battlegrounds

This election was a battleground race. Other 2022 battleground elections included:

* Illinois' 17th Congressional District election, 2022 (June 28 Democratic primary)
* Michigan Attorney General election, 2022
* Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 2022
* United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2022 (May 17 Republican primary)
* Wisconsin Attorney General election, 2022

## See also[edit]

* United States Senate election in Alaska, 2022
* United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2022
* United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2022
* United States Senate elections, 2022
* U.S. Senate battlegrounds, 2022

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

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* Search Google News for this topic

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Why Republicans Are Favored To Win The House, But Not The Senate," June 30, 2022
2. ↑ Business Insider, "McConnell says it's 'important' for Sen. Lisa Murkowski to win reelection and defeat her Trump-backed opponent," April 7, 2022
3. ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Sen. Sullivan backs Murkowski but says he hasn’t yet endorsed a candidate in Alaska’s U.S. House race," April 19, 2022
4. ↑ CNN, "Manchin and Murkowski endorse each other during joint interview," accessed July 24, 2022
5. ↑ Politico, "Democrats for Murkowski: Alaska Republican counts her fans across the aisle," July 18, 2022
6. ↑ Forbes, "Trump Endorses Murkowski Challenger Kelly Tshibaka," June 18, 2021
7. ↑ Alaska Republican Party endorses Kelly Tshibaka in the 2022 race for the US Senate seat held by Murkowski, "July 11, 2021
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey
9. ↑ Buzz for Alaska, "About," accessed August 29, 2022
10. ↑ Juneau Empire, "Independent candidate talks Senate bid," June 14, 2022
11. ↑ Pick Sean Thorne, "SEAN THORNE ANNOUNCES U.S. SENATE CAMPAIGN AT EVENT IN WHITTIER," August 12, 2021
12. ↑ Must Read Alaska,Democrat mystified: His party left him off the list of candidates," August 3, 2018
13. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Alaska - Senate," accessed July 25, 2022
14. ↑ Business Insider, "McConnell says it's 'important' for Sen. Lisa Murkowski to win reelection and defeat her Trump-backed opponent," April 7, 2022
15. ↑ Twitter, "Kelly Tshibaka," July 10, 2021
16. ↑ Save America, "Endorsement of Kelly Tshibaka," June 18, 2021
17. ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Sample Ballots," accessed July 20, 2022
18. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
19. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
20. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
21. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
22. ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
23. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
24. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
25. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
26. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Alaska Division of Elections, "Alaska's Better Elections Initiative," accessed January 6, 2020
28. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed September 9, 2022
29. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
30. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004," accessed March 28, 2013
31. ↑ Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center, "Where is RCV Used," accessed January 17, 2023
32. ↑ Michigan is included in this category despite numerous local jurisdictions approving the use of RCV. Although Michigan does not explicitly prohibit the use of RCV, state election laws prevent the implementation of RCV. One jurisdiction in the state, Eastpointe, did use RCV between 2019-2023 as a result of federal enforcement under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The jurisdictions of Ann Arbor, Ferndale, Kalamazoo, East Lansing, and Royal Oak have all authorized the use of RCV and plan to begin using the election method if legislation providing the state's authorization is signed into law.

[show]

Alaska's current delegation to the United States Congress

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Lisa Murkowski (R)

Daniel Sullivan (R)

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