2018_Alaska_gubernatorial_election

2018 Alaska gubernatorial election
Turnout	49.8%
	Dunleavy: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%; Begich: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%; Tie: 40–50%
Governor before election; Bill Walker; Independent	Elected Governor ; Mike Dunleavy; Republican

2018 Alaska gubernatorial election

Election for the governorship of the U.S. state of Alaska

The 2018 Alaska gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Alaska. In the primaries for recognized political parties, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately. The winners of each respective primary for governor and lieutenant governor then become a joint ticket in the general election for their political party. Incumbent independent governor Bill Walker was running for re-election in what was originally a three-way race between Walker, Republican former state senator Mike Dunleavy, and Democratic nominee Mark Begich, a former U.S. Senator. However, Walker dropped out on October 19, 2018, and endorsed Begich. In spite of Walker dropping out, Dunleavy defeated Begich in what would become the only gubernatorial gain by a Republican candidate in 2018. Walker later unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Alaska in 2022.

Quick Facts Turnout, Nominee ...

Democratic–Libertarian–Independence primary

Candidates from the Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska Libertarian Party and Alaskan Independence Party appear on the same ballot, with the highest-placed candidate from each party receiving that party's nomination.^{[clarification needed]} In October 2017 the AKDP sued for the right to allow non-Democrats to compete for and win the Democratic nomination, which was ultimately decided in their favor in April 2018.^[1] This move was widely thought to benefit incumbent Gov. Bill Walker, to foreclose the possibility of a Democratic nominee splitting the vote with Walker against a Republican nominee. However, with the entry of former senator Mark Begich into the race, Walker withdrew from the Democratic primary and forged ahead with a fully independent bid for reelection.^[2]

Republican primary

Governor

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article 2018_Alaska_gubernatorial_election, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[51] The Fox News Midterm Power Rankings uniquely does not contain a category for Safe/Solid races

[1] [1]
Hertz, Nathaniel (April 4, 2018). "Independents can run in party primaries, Alaska Supreme Court says, opening door for Gov. Walker". Anchorage Daily News.

[2] [2]
Bohrer, Becky (June 2, 2018). "Former Sen. Begich to challenge Walker for Alaska governor". Associated Press.

[3] [3]
Herz, Nathaniel (April 30, 2016). "Fear of a Begich bid for governor looms large over Alaska GOP convention". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved July 19, 2016.

[wildcard-4] [4]
Herz, Nathaniel (May 28, 2017). "As some drop hints about running for Alaska governor in 2018, Walker remains a wild card". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved May 29, 2017.

[AKDOElist-5] [5]
"2018 Primary Candidate List". Alaska Division Of Elections. Retrieved June 2, 2018.

[primaryresults-6] [6]
"GEMS ELECTION RESULTS". www.elections.alaska.gov. Retrieved February 19, 2023.

[adn0601-7] [7]
"Alaska lieutenant governor candidate says she is running with Begich in Democratic primary". Anchorage Daily News. June 1, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

[Blatchdrop-8] [8]
Mauer, Richard (June 8, 2018). "Blatchford drops out of race for lieutenant governor". KTUU News. Retrieved June 9, 2018.

[9] [9]
"Dunleavy jumps back in governors race". Must Read Alaska. December 21, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.

[10] [10]
"Mead Treadwell confirms gubernatorial run". Retrieved February 19, 2023.

[11] [11]
Alaska Republican Party (August 21, 2018). "State of Alaska Official Ballot" (PDF). www.elections.alaska.gov/. Alaska Division of Elections.

[12] [12]
"Breaking: Hawkins files for governor; focus will be on economy, dividends, crime - Must Read Alaska". Must Read Alaska. September 21, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.

[13] [13]
DeMarban, Alex (July 2, 2018). "Republican Scott Hawkins withdraws from Alaska governor's race, citing entry of Treadwell". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved August 10, 2018.

[gametheory-14] [14]
Reynolds, Casey (February 1, 2017). "Game Theory: The One Question That Could Decide Who Alaska's Next Governor Will Be". The Midnight Sun. Retrieved February 2, 2017.

[15] [15]
Reynolds, Casey (February 17, 2017). "Friday in the Sun!!! (February 17)". The Midnight Sun. Retrieved February 24, 2017.

[murkowski-16] [16]
Herz, Nathaniel (June 11, 2018). "Frank Murkowski seriously considered running for Alaska governor again". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved May 10, 2021.

[17] [17]
"Letter of Intent Form". aws.state.ak.us. Retrieved September 12, 2017.

[18] [18]
Buxton, Matt (June 16, 2016). "Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan withdraws from U.S. Senate race". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Retrieved July 19, 2016.

[stevens-19] [19]
"ADN reports Ben Stevens contemplating run for Governor". Alaska Dispatch News & KINY Radio. August 20, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2022.

[20] [20]
Mike Chennault 3%

[Chennault4pct-21] [21]
Mike Chennault 4%

[22] [22]
"Lynn Gattis files for lieutenant governor - Must Read Alaska". Must Read Alaska. August 4, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.

[23] [23]
Hickman, Matt (September 21, 2017). "Grunwald, mother of murdered Palmer teen, joins race for Lt. Governor". Alaska Frontiersman. Retrieved December 9, 2017.

[24] [24]
Downing, Suzanne (April 12, 2018). "GOP Sharon Jackson files for lieutenant governor". Must Read Alaska. Retrieved April 15, 2018.

[25] [25]
Maguire, Sean (September 7, 2017). "State Senator Kevin Meyer files to be candidate for Lt. Governor, no running mate in mind". KTUU-TV. Retrieved September 8, 2017.

[26] [26]
Desroches, Kayla (August 1, 2017). "State Sen. Gary Stevens files to run for lieutenant governor". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved September 8, 2017.

[27] [27]
Brooks, James (August 2, 2017). "Kodiak senator is first to seek lieutenant governor's office". Juneau Empire. Retrieved September 8, 2017.

[28] [28]
"They are running on principle – just ask them". March 15, 2018.

[29] [29]
Manning, Phillip (July 19, 2017). "Senator David Wilson files for lieutenant governor race". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved September 5, 2017.

[30] [30]
Manning, Phillip (July 20, 2017). "Senator David Wilson says he's not running for Lt. Governor, he filed by accident". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved September 5, 2017.

[31] [31]
Baird, Austin (July 20, 2017). "Freshman senator launches bid for lieutenant governor, scraps campaign a day later". KTUU-TV. Retrieved September 5, 2017.

[32] [32]
"Heads and Tails: Campaigns, fundraisers, gaffes, and galas - Must Read Alaska". Must Read Alaska. August 8, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.

[WalkerDemocrat-33] [33]
"Gov. Walker to enter Democratic primary in re-election bid". Associated Press. May 6, 2018. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.

[34] [34]
Juneau, Andrew Kitchenman, Alaska Public Media & KTOO - (April 5, 2018). "Yes, independents can run in Democratic primary, says Alaska Supreme Court". Retrieved May 22, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[35] [35]
Klint, Chris (June 1, 2018). "Walker won't run in Democratic primary". KTVA. Retrieved June 2, 2018.

[36] [36]
Zak, Annie (October 19, 2018). "Gov. Bill Walker drops out of campaign for Alaska governor". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved October 20, 2018.

[37] [37]
Maguire, Sean. "Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott files letter of intent for re-election". Retrieved September 5, 2017.

[38] [38]
Zak, Annie (October 19, 2018). "Gov. Bill Walker drops out of campaign for Alaska governor". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved October 19, 2018.

[39] [39]
Kelly, Caroline. "Alaska Gov. Bill Walker suspends re-election bid". CNN. Retrieved November 8, 2018.

[40] [40]
Hanlon, Tegan (October 19, 2018). "Gov. Bill Walker drops out of campaign for Alaska governor". Anchorage Daily News.

[41] [41]
Johnson, Kirk (October 19, 2018). "Bill Walker, Governor of Alaska, Suspends Campaign Amid Sinking Polls". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2018.

[counted-42] [42]
Zak, Annie; Hanlon, Tegan (September 4, 2018). "Under pressure to withdraw, Begich reaffirms plan to stay in Alaska governor's race". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved October 21, 2018.

[43] [43]
"2018 Governor Race Ratings for October 26, 2018". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 10, 2021.

[44] [44]
"The Washington Post's gubernatorial race ratings". The Washington Post. October 16, 2018.

[45] [45]
"2018 Governor Forecast | FiveThirtyEight". FiveThirtyEight. October 17, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2018.

[46] [46]
"2018 Gubernatorial Ratings | Inside Elections". insideelections.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.

[47] [47]
"Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball » 2018 Governor". www.centerforpolitics.org. Retrieved November 15, 2017.

[48] [48]
"2018 Governor Races". RealClearPolitics. October 9, 2018.

[49] [49]
"2018 Governor Race Ratings". Daily Kos. June 5, 2018.

[50] [50]
"2018 Midterm Power Ranking". Fox News.

[52] [51]
"Politico Race Ratings". Politico.

[53] [52]
"2018 Governor Elections: As November Nears, More Governors' Races Become Tossups". Governing. Archived from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.

[54] [53]
Buxton, Matt (June 28, 2018). "Former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles endorses Begich in race for governor | The Midnight Sun". The Midnight Sun.

[55] [54]
Byrnes, Jesse (October 19, 2018). "Alaska governor Walker suspends reelection campaign". The Hill. Retrieved October 19, 2018.

[56] [55]
Walker, Rhiannon (September 18, 2018). "Former First Lady Bella Hammond endorses Begich". webcenter11.com.

[57] [56]
Beltrami, Vince (October 22, 2018). "Alaska AFL-CIO Endorses Mark Begich for Governor". Alaska AFL–CIO.

[58] [57]
Parker, Tim (October 23, 2018). "NEA-Alaska Endorses Mark Begich for Governor". NEA-Alaska Political Action Committee on Education.

[59] [58]
Cler, Jessica (July 27, 2018). "Planned Parenthood Votes Endorses Mark Begich for Governor of Alaska". www.plannedparenthoodaction.org. Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii.

[60] [59]
"Mark Begich for Governor - The Alaska Center". The Alaska Center.

[61] [60]
"Alaskans Together for Equality Endorses Mark Begich for Governor". Alaskans Together For Equality. August 24, 2018.

[62] [61]
Chris Klint (September 5, 2018). "APD's union backs Begich for governor". KTVA.

[63] [62]
Donald J. Trump. ".@MikeDunleavyGov will make a fantastic Governor of Alaska. Mike is for Energy and Jobs, is tough on Crime, loves our Vets and our Great Second Amendment. Mike has my Complete and Total Endorsement!". Twitter.

[dnsydd-64] [63]
"Congressman Don Young & Senator Dan Sullivan Support Mike Dunleavy as Alaska's next Governor" (PDF). Alaskans for Dunleavy. October 22, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.

[65] [64]
Brooks, James (October 23, 2018). "After Walker quits, governor race now 'down to the wire'". Juneau Empire.

[66] [65]
Kitchenman, Andrew (July 18, 2018). "Parnell endorses Dunleavy for governor". KTOO.

[67] [66]
"Mead Treadwell Endorses Mike Dunleavy for Governor". Alaskans for Dunleavy. October 4, 2018. Archived from the original on October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.

[68] [67]
Craig Richards (November 5, 2018). "Opinion: Begich would tax, Dunleavy, cut. Whoever wins will have to act fast". Juneau Empire.

[69] [68]
Mike Dunleavy for Governor. "Thrilled to have the endorsement of my colleague, Senator MacKinnon. Thank you Anna for your support!". Facebook.

[70] [69]
Suzanne Downing (May 16, 2018). "Dunleavy signs three as state campaign co-chairs". Must Read Alaska.

[71] [70]
Suzanne Downing (March 5, 2018). "Dunleavy gets a big endorsement from …". Must Read Alaska.

[72] [71]
Mike Dunleavy for Governor. "I am honored to receive the endorsement of General Joe Ralston. He has been trusted with leading the Alaskan Command, NATO, and serving on the Joint Chiefs. His trust in me is humbling and inspiring". Facebook.

[73] [72]
Suzanne Downing (November 2, 2018). "Mao Tosi throws support to Dunleavy". Must Read Alaska.

[74] [73]
Mike Dunleavy for Governor. "Many of us live in Alaska for the unmatched sporting opportunities. I'm proud to earn the endorsement of the Sportsmen's Conservation Alliance, which works to preserve Alaska's fishing, hunting and trapping outdoor heritage traditions". Facebook.

[75] [74]
Mike Dunleavy for Governor. "The Alaska Outdoor Council works tirelessly for the preservation of outdoor pursuits in Alaska, and conservation of the habitats upon which they depend. I am proud to receive their endorsement in the primary". Facebook.

[76] [75]
Kortnie Horazdovsky (October 8, 2018). "State public safety union endorses Dunleavy, Anchorage officers endorse Begich". KTUU.com.

[77] [76]
Suzanne Downing (October 31, 2018). "Alaska Forestry Association endorses Dunleavy". Must Read Alaska. Archived from the original on November 1, 2018.

[78] [77]
"NRA Endorses Mike Dunleavy for Governor" (PDF). Alaskans for Dunleavy. September 26, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 14, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.

[79] [78]
Anna Rose MacArthur (October 23, 2018). "Calista Switches Endorsement To Dunleavy After Walker Drops Out Of Governor's Race". KYUK. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018.

[80] [79]
"Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Endorses Mike Dunleavy for Governor" (PDF). Alaskans for Dunleavy. October 26, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.

[81] [80]
"Centrist Project endorses Gov. Bill Walker (I-AK)". Retrieved May 22, 2018.

[82] [81]
Zak, Annie (August 25, 2018). "Alaska AFL-CIO endorses Gov. Walker for re-election". Anchorage Daily News.

[83] [82]
Zak, Annie (August 27, 2018). "NEA-Alaska endorses Walker for re-election". Anchorage Daily News.

[84] [83]
"2018 General Elections. Official results". elections.alaska.gov. Retrieved February 19, 2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

[lower-alpha 1]

[51]

[52]

[53]

[54]

[55]

[56]

[57]

[58]

[59]

[60]

[61]

[62]

[63]

[64]

[65]

[66]

[67]

[68]

[69]

[70]

[71]

[72]

[73]

[74]

[75]

[76]

[77]

[78]

[79]

[80]

[81]

[82]

[83]

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Mark Begich	Les Gara	Chris Tuck	Bill Wielechowski	Undecided
Harstad Strategic Research	March 22 – April 2, 2017	205	± 2.2%	42%	15%	3%	8%	32%
				–	25%	5%	19%	51%
				49%	–	5%	12%	34%
				43%	15%	–	8%	34%
				44%	19%	4%	–	32%

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mark Begich	33,451	85.3
	Libertarian	William Toien	5,790	14.8
Total votes			39,241	100.0

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Debra Call	34,291	100.0
Total votes			34,291	100.0

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	John Binkley	Mike Dunleavy	Peter Miccici	Joe Miller	Bill Walker	Other	Undecided
Harstad Strategic Research	March 22 – April 2, 2017	281	± 2.2%	7%	6%	4%	25%	19%	3%^[20]	36%
				9%	8%	6%	29%	–	4%^[21]	46%
				8%	10%	5%	–	25%	4%^[21]	48%
				–	–	–	33%	21%	–	46%

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mike Dunleavy	43,802	61.5
	Republican	Mead Treadwell	22,780	32.0
	Republican	Michael Sheldon	1,640	2.3
	Republican	Merica Hlatcu	1,064	1.5
	Republican	Thomas Gordon	884	1.4
	Republican	Gerald Heikes	499	0.7
	Republican	Darin Colbry	416	0.6
Total votes			71,195	100.0

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Kevin Meyer	23,838	35.8
	Republican	Edie Grunwald	18,097	27.1
	Republican	Gary Stevens	8,123	12.2
	Republican	Lynn Gattis	6,156	10.4
	Republican	Sharon Jackson	5,394	8.1
	Republican	Stephen Wright	4,321	6.5
Total votes			66,671	100.0

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report^[43]	Lean R (flip)	October 26, 2018
The Washington Post^[44]	Tossup	November 5, 2018
FiveThirtyEight^[45]	Lean R (flip)	November 5, 2018
Rothenberg Political Report^[46]	Tilt R (flip)	November 1, 2018
Sabato's Crystal Ball^[47]	Lean R (flip)	November 5, 2018
RealClearPolitics^[48]	Tossup	November 4, 2018
Daily Kos^[49]	Lean R (flip)	November 5, 2018
Fox News^[50]^{[lower-alpha 1]}	Tossup	November 5, 2018
Politico^[51]	Lean R (flip)	November 5, 2018
Governing^[52]	Tossup	November 5, 2018

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bill Walker (I)	Mike Dunleavy (R)	Mark Begich (D)	Billy Toien (L)	Other	Undecided
Alaska Survey Research	October 26–29, 2018	500	± 4.4%	8%	43%	42%	3%	–	4%
Alaska Survey Research	October 19–22, 2018	500	± 4.4%	5%	48%	44%	–	–	3%
Alaska Survey Research	October 12–14, 2018	500	± 4.4%	27%	43%	26%	–	–	4%
Public Policy Polling (D)	October 11–12, 2018	645	–	24%	43%	23%	–	–	9%
Alaska Survey Research	October 1–6, 2018	500	± 4.4%	27%	47%	23%	–	–	4%
Alaska Survey Research	September 21–25, 2018	500	± 4.4%	23%	44%	29%	–	–	4%
Harstad Strategic Research	August 13–16, 2018	602	± 4.0%	26%	36%	24%	–	2%	12%
Patinkin Research Strategies (I-Walker)	June 22–28, 2018	800	± 3.4%	28%	36%	22%	–	–	15%
Harstad Strategic Research (D)	June 21–26, 2018	602	± 4.0%	28%	32%	28%	–	–	12%
Alaska Survey Research	June 15–21, 2018	654	± 3.8%	23%	38%	33%	–	–	6%

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Mike Dunleavy	145,631	51.44%	+5.56%
	Democratic	Mark Begich	125,739	44.41%	+44.41%
	Independent	Bill Walker (incumbent; withdrawn)	5,757	2.03%	−46.07%
	Libertarian	William Toien	5,402	1.91%	−1.30%
	Write-in		605	0.21%	−0.11%
Total votes			283,134	100.00%	N/A
Turnout			284,891	49.82%
Registered electors			571,851
	Republican gain from Independent

2018_Alaska_gubernatorial_election

Democratic–Libertarian–Independence primary

Governor

Declared

Polling

Endorsements

Results

Lieutenant governor

Declared

Withdrawn

Results

Republican primary

Governor

Nominated

Eliminated in primary

Withdrawn

Declined

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Lieutenant governor

Declared

Declined

Results

Independents

Governor

Withdrew

Lieutenant governor

Withdrew

General election

Campaign

Debates

Predictions

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Boroughs and census areas that flipped from Independent to Republican

Boroughs and census areas that flipped from Independent to Democratic

Boroughs and census areas that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Notes

References

External links

Share this article: