Politics of Alaska
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Although in its early years of statehood, Alaska was a
Alaska regularly supports
The communities of Juneau, Sitka, downtown and midtown Anchorage, the areas surrounding the college/University of Alaska Fairbanks campus and Ester and the "Alaska Bush" – rural, sparsely populated Alaska – stand out as Democratic strongholds, while the Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna Valley, parts of Anchorage, and Fairbanks (including North Pole and Eielson Air Force Base), Ketchikan, Wrangell, and Petersburg serve as the Republican Party electoral base. Over half of all registered voters have chosen "Non-Partisan" or "Undeclared" as their affiliation.[4]
State politics
The Alaska Legislature consists of a 20-member Senate serving 4-year terms and a 40-member House of Representatives serving 2-year terms. Since 1994, it has been dominated by conservatives, generally Republicans, however, coalition governments are common, and both chambers are currently governed by one. Likewise, recent state governors have been mostly conservatives, although not always elected under the Republican Party banner. Six Republicans and four Democrats have served as governor of Alaska. In addition, Republican governor Wally Hickel was elected to the office for a second term in 1990 after leaving the Republican party and briefly joining the Alaskan Independence Party ticket just long enough to be reelected. He officially rejoined the Republican party in 1994. Independent Bill Walker also served as Governor after winning the 2014 election.
Recent and ongoing
Federal politics
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 189,951 | 52.83% | 153,778 | 42.77% | 15,801 | 4.39% |
2016 | 163,387 | 51.28% | 116,454 | 36.55% | 38,767 | 12.17% |
2012 | 164,676 | 54.80% | 122,640 | 40.81% | 13,179 | 4.39% |
2008 | 193,841 | 59.42% | 123,594 | 37.89% | 8,762 | 2.69% |
2004 | 190,889 | 61.07% | 111,025 | 35.52% | 10,684 | 3.42% |
2000 | 167,398 | 58.62% | 79,004 | 27.67% | 39,158 | 13.71% |
1996 | 122,746 | 50.80% | 80,380 | 33.27% | 38,494 | 15.93% |
1992 | 102,000 | 39.46% | 78,294 | 30.29% | 78,212 | 30.26% |
1988 | 119,251 | 59.59% | 72,584 | 36.27% | 8,281 | 4.14% |
1984 | 138,377 | 66.65% | 62,007 | 29.87% | 7,221 | 3.48% |
1980 | 86,112 | 54.35% | 41,842 | 26.41% | 30,491 | 19.24% |
1976 | 71,555 | 57.90% | 44,058 | 35.65% | 7,961 | 6.44% |
1972 | 55,349 | 58.13% | 32,967 | 34.62% | 6,903 | 7.25% |
1968 | 37,600 | 45.28% | 35,411 | 42.65% | 10,024 | 12.07% |
1964 | 22,930 | 34.09% | 44,329 | 65.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 30,953 | 50.94% | 29,809 | 49.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
Alaska's current delegation to the United States Congress consists of two Republican Senators and one Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Because of its population relative to other U.S. states, Alaska has only one member in the
Representative Young was in his 25th consecutive House term at the time of his death, and his seniority made him an influential Republican House member. His position on the House Transportation Committee allowed him to parlay some $450 million to the proposed Knik Arm Bridge and the proposed Gravina Island Bridge which was derided as a "bridge to nowhere".[10] As a result, Congress removed the federal earmark for the bridge in 2005.[11]
Republicans Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski represent Alaska in the United States Senate. Sullivan has held the state's Class 2 Senate seat since 2015, and Murkowski has held its Class 3 seat since 2002. Notably, Murkowski was re-elected in 2010 in a write-in campaign, after losing the Republican primary to Tea Party-backed challenger Joe Miller. The campaign made national headlines, and Murkowski became the first Senator to be elected in a write-in campaign since Strom Thurmond of South Carolina in 1954.
Alaska is part of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska in the federal judiciary. The district's cases are appealed to the San Francisco-based United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Parties and registration
Recognized political parties
- Alaska Democratic Party
- Alaska Republican Party
- Alaskan Independence Party
- Libertarian Party of Alaska
Party registration
Party registration as of January 3, 2024[12] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Total voters | Percentage | |||
Unaffiliated | 353,654 | 58.70% | |||
Republican | 142,955 | 23.73% | |||
Democratic | 74,961 | 12.44% | |||
Alaskan Independence | 19,005 | 3.15% | |||
Minor political groups | 11,923 | 1.98% | |||
Total | 602,498 | 100.00% |
Unique features
Alaska was formerly the only state in which possession of thirty ounces or less of marijuana in one's home was completely legal under state law, though the federal law remains in force.[13] Alaska's appeals court ruled in 2003 that Alaska's constitutional guarantee of privacy took precedence over any attempts at marijuana prohibition, overruling a 1990 voter initiative that criminalized possession of all amounts of the drug. The court ruled that voters, who approved the criminalization measure, did not have authority to change the state constitution protecting one's privacy.[14]
Alaska is also unusual in that it does not have counties. Instead, it is divided into
See also
References
- ^ "National Journal Alaska State Profile". Election.nationaljournal.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2006. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
- ^ "Alaska Division of Elections". www.elections.alaska.gov.
- ^ "Questions And Answers—About Alaskan Independence". Alaskan Independence Party. 2006. Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ "Alaska Voter Registration". elections.alaska.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
- ^ "Adn.com | Alaska political corruption : Federal agents raid Sen. Ted Stevens' Girdwood home". Archived from the original on 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2007-07-31. | Federal agents raid Sen. Ted Stevens' Girdwood home
- ^ Vick, Karl. "I'll Sell My Soul to the Devil". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
- ^ Washington Post, 8 April 2009, "Judge Orders Probe of Attorneys in Stevens Case"
- ^ "Report: Prosecutors Hid Evidence in Ted Stevens Case". NPR.
- ^ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Alaska". US Election Atlas. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ "Alaska: End Sought For 'Bridge To Nowhere'". The New York Times. 2007-09-22.
- ^ Hulse, Carl (2005-11-17). "Two 'Bridges to Nowhere' Tumble Down in Congress". The New York Times.
- ^ "Alaska Division of Elections". www.elections.alaska.gov. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
- ^ Volz, Matt (July 11, 2006). "Judge rules against Alaska marijuana law". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
- ^ Noy v. Alaska, 83 P.3d 538, 543 (2003).