Mary Peltola with her supporters celebrate her victory as U.S. Rep. for Alaska on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. (Photo by Elyssa Leighlin/Alaska Public Media).
Democrat Mary Peltola was elected to the U.S. House. After the second- and third-rankings were added on Wednesday, Mary Peltola was nearly 10 points ahead in first-choice votes.

Peltola celebrated her victory in downtown Anchorage with family, supporters and campaign volunteers. She thanked all of them. Some of her supporters were moved to tears. Peltola stated that the election results speak volumes.

After her win was announced, she said that “It shows that Alaskans are prepared for an Alaskan representative who isn’t spouting sort of canned messages that you hear nationwide.” It shows that Alaskans embrace nonpartisanship, embrace collaboration and tackle the issues Alaskans face.

Peltola won just 55% of the vote. Palin received just under 45%. Palin received a boost when Nick Begich III, a fellow Republican, was eliminated. His 64,392 ballots were redistributed in ranked choice tabulation. Nearly two-thirds chose Palin as their second choice. However, 21% of voters didn’t choose a second choice. And nearly 12% voted for Peltola who won the two year term.

The Palin campaign didn’t return a call on Wednesday and her social media accounts were quiet in the aftermath of the tabulation. Begich wrote a statement congratulating Mary Peltola, the next representative of Alaska’s Congress.

Begich wrote, “My message to Alaskans” “We have a government which is of the people by the people and for the people. It requires citizens to actively participate in the process of creating the future we all want.

Peltola’s victory was a result that appeared highly unlikely in March when she filed to run against Don Young, a Republican congressman. Peltola, now 49 years old, was not well-known or had any money. Nearly a third of Alaskans who were surveyed hadn’t heard of Peltola until July. She was competing against Palin, who is the most well-known Alaskan, as well as several other candidates that could quickly accumulate million-dollar campaign accounts.

Peltola was the winner of the special election from a field that included 48 candidates. She is the first Alaska Native woman elected to Congress and the first Alaskan woman to represent Alaska in Congress. Her centrist message was “pro-fish and pro-family,” but her calm demeanor, commitment towards civility, stood out.

Matt Shuckerow (political consultant) said that Young’s campaign was a good example of how campaign style matters. “People are tired of tearing down people and focusing only on their opponents.”

Some lucky breaks came to Peltola, such as when the nonpartisan Al Gross pulled out of the June special election. this focused liberals’ attention and cash on the only Democrat in that race. The campaign was then dominated by Palin and Begich attacking one another and taking offense.

Shuckerow stated that as Republicans turned against one another, it allowed Shuckerow to remain above the fray and talk about issues and define herself again, despite being surrounded by them.

When Peltola took office in September to finish Young’s term, the underdog had become the front-runner in the midterm general elections. As Democrats realized that they could keep the seat, the money started pouring in from all over the country. In the end, Peltola raised $6 million.

Art Hackney, a political consultant, worked on Begich’s campaign. He said that the race was down to the characteristics of the two top candidates: Palin was too polarizing for victory, while Peltola was far more appealing.

Hackney stated, “The thing about Mary it she just checks all of the boxes.” She speaks with confidence. “She was a great person to talk to.

The Division of Elections will certify the results within the next week. When a new Congress begins, Peltola will be sworn into office on Jan. 3.

Republicans will lead the House. Peltola will therefore be part of the minority.

@blue.deal Almost a 10-point victory #fyp #foryou #alaska #alaskan ♬ Viva La Vida – Coldplay