(NewsNation) — Alaska voters will cast their ballots Tuesday for the state’s Congressional seat and a pair of statewide initiatives in the 2024 election.
Presidential race results in Alaska
Former President Donald Trump is projected to win Alaska.
Balance of Power in Congress
Democrats are fighting to keep control of the U.S. Senate while Republicans are trying to keep their hold on the U.S. House. Either party will need to have at least 51 U.S. Senate seats to have control of the upper chamber and 218 U.S. House seats to have control of the lower chamber of Congress. Track results below:
Alaska At-Large Congressional Seat
Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, the first Alaskan Native woman to represent the state in Congress, sought re-election to Alaska’s only at-large Congressional District. She lost to Republican challenger Nicholas “Nick” Begich.
The seat is one of 37 Congressional races across the country the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is targeting this election with the goal of keeping control of the House with the GOP.
Peltola — who won her 2022 race against former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin — faced Republican Eric Hafner, Begich and Alaskan Independence Party Rep. John Howe.
Alaska Ballot Measures
Additionally, Alaskans will determine whether to increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour and whether to require employers to provide earned paid sick leave for employees by voting yes or no on Ballot Measure 1.
Voters will also decide whether to repeal the ranked-choice voting initiative, which was first approved in 2020.
Under the ranked-choice system, the four candidates with the most votes in a primary election advance to the general election. A candidate must earn a simple majority, or 50% of votes plus one, to win the general election. If repealed, elections will return to the party primary system.
On Tuesday, 468 seats in the U.S. Congress (33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats) are up for grabs. These elections will determine who has control over the two chambers of Congress, and ultimately, who sets the agenda for the next president’s term.
Alaska, typically a red state, will have three Electoral College votes contributing to the presidential race. The presidential election winner must earn 270 Electoral College votes to assume office.
Early voting in Alaska started on Oct. 21, and polls for in-person voting will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
