Nikiski Republican Sen. Jesse Bjorkman and Homer Republican Rep. Sarah Vance have won reelection to their seats in the Alaska Legislature, according to unofficial results from ranked choice tabulation performed by the State Division of Elections on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
Bjorkman won reelected to Senate District D, representing the northern Kenai Peninsula, including Kenai, Soldotna, Nikiski and Moose Pass. Vance was reelected to House District 6, which covers the southern Kenai Peninsula including Homer, Anchor Point and Seldovia.
Election Program Manager Brian Jackson said during a livestreamed count on Wednesday that ranked choice tabulation is performed, per Alaska Statute, 15 days after the election. That’s to allow absentee ballots mailed from outside the United States to be received and counted.
Wednesday’s results remain unofficial, Jackson said, and the election is targeted for certification on Nov. 30, when the tabulation will be performed a second time to create the final numbers.
Tabulation is applied to races where no candidate secured 50% of the vote. The ranked choice tabulation will eliminate the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes, allocating the second-choice votes of the people who selected the eliminated candidate — if they selected any second-choice candidates — to the remaining candidates. That process repeats until a candidate has 50% of the vote.
Bjorkman, before tabulation, held 9,256 votes, 47.9% of the total. Challenger Rep. Ben Carpenter, R-Nikiski, held 40.7% and Sterling Democrat Tina Wegener had 11.3%. Wegener was eliminated in the first round of tabulation, and 1,399 of her 2,195 votes were exhausted — with no second choice selected. Carpenter received 249 of Wegener’s votes, Bjorkman received 544. Bjorkman’s final count was 9,800 ballots and 54.71% of the vote.
Bjorkman did not return a request for comment ahead of publication on Wednesday.
Carpenter on Wednesday said he wanted to thank the people who trusted him with their vote, as well as the volunteers “who gave of their time and treasure to help with this campaign.”
“It is encouraging to know that my message resonated with so many,” he said. “It’s now time to press on with the next stage of our self-government process by influencing our elected representatives to obtain the best policies for Alaskans.”
Vance also led her race coming into Wednesday’s tabulation, with 5,359 votes good for 47.1% of the total. When challenger Dawson Slaughter — an Anchor Point Republican — was eliminated, 618 of his 1,078 votes were exhausted. Vance received 275 votes, and nonpartisan Clam Gulch challenger Brent Johnson took 185. Vance’s final count was 5,634 votes, good for 52.25%.
Vance on Wednesday said “I am humbled to once again have the vote of confidence from this district.”
Johnson on Wednesday offered congratulations to Vance and appreciation to Slaughter and Alana Greear — another candidate in the race who dropped out after the primary. He said that, while he won’t represent the Kenai Peninsula in the Alaska Legislature, he will continue to represent his district on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly.
Other Kenai Peninsula races for seats in the Alaska Legislature did not require the use of ranked choice tabulation. For House District 7, Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, topped challenger Ron Gillham with 58.93% of the vote. Bill Elam won election to the House District 8 seat vacated by Carpenter with 51.52% of the vote, narrowly topping John Hillyer. Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, holds 77.38% of the vote in her race against challenging Alaska Libertarian Party candidate Leighton Radner of Seward.
In Wednesday’s unofficial results, Ballot Measure #1 — upping the state’s minimum wage and requiring sick pay for most employees — is supported by 57.97% of voters. Ballot Measure #2 — the effort to repeal ranked choice voting and the open primary system — is very narrowly defeated, by a difference of only around 700 votes, with 50.10% of voters opposed.
After ranked choice tabulation, incumbent U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola has been defeated by challenger Nick Begich, who claims 51.31% of the vote after elimination of two other candidates.
A full stream archive of the ranked choice tabulation can be found on YouTube at “KTOO 360TV.”
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
