Early Alaska results: Peltola edges Sullivan, Begich dominates House race, Bernadette is top Republican for governor

By SUZANNE DOWNING

Aug. 18, 2026 – With more than 115,000 ballots included in Alaska’s first major election-night count, Democrat Mary Peltola held a narrow lead over Republican US Sen. Dan Sullivan, Congressman Nick Begich was comfortably ahead in the US House contest, and Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins led the crowded race for governor. Bernadette Wilson is leading the Republican candidates for governor.

The Alaska Division of Elections’ unofficial results, updated at 9:38 p.m. Tuesday, included 115,504 voters and 242 of the state’s 403 precincts, or about 60%, in the federal races.

In the US Senate primary, Peltola had 53,817 votes, or 46.84%, while Sullivan had 50,988 votes, or 44.38%. Peltola’s early advantage was 2,829 votes.

Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., the retired Petersburg teacher whose nearly identical name has drawn national attention and prompted a federal investigation, was running third with 2,785 votes, or 2.42%. He is subject to a Department of Justice investigation.

Gerald Heikes was in fourth place with 1,263 votes, narrowly ahead of Democrat David Leslie, who had 1,247. Under Alaska’s top-four primary system, the four highest finishers advance to the November general election. Heikes has been pushed by leftist political action committees.

Begich had the strongest showing among the leading statewide candidates Tuesday night. The Republican incumbent had 53,078 votes, or 47.05%, in the race for Alaska’s lone US House seat.

Independent Bill Hill was a distant second with 34,470 votes, or 30.56%. Democrat Matt Schultz, who suspended his campaign in July and endorsed Hill, remained in third place with 9,104 votes, or 8.07%.

Democrat Eric Hafner, who is serving a prison sentence outside Alaska, was holding fourth place with 4,230 votes, or 3.75%. Republican Clay Strickland was fifth with 2,638 votes, followed closely by Democrat John Williams with 2,769. The House totals showed 112,810 votes cast in that contest.

The race for governor remained more fragmented, with no candidate approaching a majority.

Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and running mate Edie Johnson led with 24,632 votes, or 21.64%. Democrat Tom Begich and Julia Hnilicka were second with 22,252 votes, or 19.55%.

Republican Bernadette Wilson and running mate Mike Shower were third with 12,392 votes, or 10.89%, making Wilson the leading Republican in the race.

Former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and Josh Church held fourth place with 9,778 votes, or 8.59%. Former Attorney General Treg Taylor and Cheryl English were fifth with 8,696 votes, followed by Click Bishop and Greta Schuerch with 7,692.

The early top four in the governor’s race were therefore Kreiss-Tomkins, Tom Begich, Wilson and Bronson.

The results remain unofficial, and the geographic composition of the vote will likely change. Large portions of rural and Western Alaska had not yet reported in the 9:38 p.m. count, while many urban and road-system precincts were already included. Absentee and questioned ballots will also continue to be processed.

The four candidates receiving the most votes in each statewide race advance to the Nov. 3 general election, where voters will use ranked-choice voting unless the system is changed before then.