Alaska State Senate elections, 2022
| 2022 Alaska Senate Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Primary | August 16, 2022 |
| General | November 8, 2022 |
| Past Election Results |
| 2020・2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
| 2022 Elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
Elections for the Alaska State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 16, 2022. The filing deadline was June 1, 2022.
The Alaska State Senate was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Aftermath of elections
Control of chamber
All nine Democrats and eight of 11 Republicans announced on November 25, 2022, that they would form a bipartisan governing coalition. The coalition said it would support Gary Stevens (R) as senate president and Cathy Giessel (R) as majority leader.[1]
The chamber's last power-sharing coalition lasted from 2006 through 2012. Stevens served as majority leader until 2008 and as senate president for the remainder of the coalition.[2]
In past sessions, senate leadership has included five members. The coalition expanded leadership to eight members—four Democrats and four Republicans—by adding a third finance co-chairperson and including the posts of majority whip and legislative council chairperson in leadership. The coalition's leaders will be:[2]
- Senate President:
Gary Stevens
- Rules Chairman:
Bill Wielechowski
- Majority Leader:
- Majority Whip:
- Finance Co-Chairman:
- Finance Co-Chairman:
- Finance Co-Chairman:
- Legislative Council Chairman:
Timeline
- November 30, 2022: The Alaska Division of Elections certified the results of the 2022 Senate elections.[3]
- November 25, 2022: All nine Democrats and eight of 11 Republicans announced they would form a power-sharing coalition with Sen. Gary Stevens (R) as senate president.[1]
- November 8, 2022: Elections were held for 19 out of 20 seats in the chamber. Republicans won 11 seats to Democrats' eight. Democrat Donald C. Olson controlled the seat not up for election, leaving Democrats with nine seats to Republicans' 11.[1]
Party control
| Alaska State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 7 | 9 | |
| Republican Party | 13 | 11 | |
| Total | 20 | 20 | |
Candidates
General
Alaska State Senate General Election 2022 |
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Andy Cizek (Independent) |
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| District H |
Mia Costello (i) |
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| District I |
Heather Herndon (Independent) |
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Arthur Serkov (Alaskan Independence Party) |
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| District R |
Robert Williams (Alaskan Independence Party) |
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| District S |
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Willy Keppel (Veterans Party of Alaska) |
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Primary
Alaska State Senate Primary 2022 |
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| District G |
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Click a link below to read survey responses from candidates in that district:
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in general elections
Two incumbents lost in the Nov. 8 general election.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Roger Holland | Senate District E | |
| Mia Costello | Senate District H |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
No incumbents lost in primaries.
Retiring incumbents
Five incumbents were not on the ballot in 2022.[4] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lora Reinbold | Senate District G | Retired | |
| Tom Begich | Senate District J | Retired | |
| Natasha A. Von Imhof | Senate District L | Retired | |
| Josh Revak | Senate District M | Other office | |
| Peter Micciche | Senate District O | Retired |
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Alaska. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
| Alaska state legislative competitiveness, 2014-2022 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Districts/ offices |
Seats | Open seats | Candidates | Possible primaries | Contested Democratic primaries | Contested Republican primaries | Contested top-four primaries | % of contested primaries | Incumbents in contested primaries | % of incumbents in contested primaries | |||
| 2022 | 59 | 59 | 20 | 147 | 59 | N/A | N/A | 1 | 1.7% | 0 | 0.0% | |||
| 2020 | 50 | 50 | 3 | 108 | 100 | 8 | 23 | N/A | 31.0% | 20 | 42.6% | |||
| 2018 | 50 | 50 | 15 | 126 | 100 | 5 | 23 | N/A | 28.0% | 12 | 34.3% | |||
| 2016 | 50 | 50 | 9 | 115 | 100 | 4 | 17 | N/A | 21.0% | 12 | 29.3% | |||
| 2014 | 54 | 54 | 8 | 106 | 100 | 2 | 11 | N/A | 12.0% | 4 | 8.7% | |||
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Alaska in 2022. Information below was calculated on Aug. 11, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
There was one contested state legislative primary in Alaska in 2022, fewer than in previous election cycles. This decrease came after the state began using a new top-four primary system, which voters approved in 2020.
Under the top-four primary system, every candidate appears on the same ballot and the top-four finishers advance to the general election. As a result, at least five candidates must run to create a contested primary.
In 2022, the one contested primary represented 2% of all possible primaries, down from 31% in 2020.
Overall, 147 candidates filed to run in the state's top-four primaries: 39 Democrats, 81 Republicans, and 27 minor party or independent candidates. Every candidate who filed advanced to the general election apart from the one candidate who lost in the one contested primary.
There were fewer than four candidates on the ballot in 52, or 88%, of districts.
Before 2022, Alaska had partisan primaries where members of the same party would compete against each other for a place on the general election ballot. Under this system, if more than one candidate from the same party filed, there would be a contested primary.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Alaska State Senate from 2010 to 2022.[5] It will be updated as information becomes available following the state’s candidate filing deadline.
| Open Seats in Alaska State Senate elections: 2010 - 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2022 | 19 | 5 (26 percent) | 14 (74 percent) |
| 2020 | 10 | 0 (0 percent) | 10 (100 percent) |
| 2018 | 10 | 4 (40 percent) | 6 (60 percent) |
| 2016 | 10 | 4 (40 percent) | 6 (60 percent) |
| 2014 | 10 | 6 (60 percent) | 4 (40 percent) |
| 2012 | 20 | 0 (0 percent) | 20 (100 percent) |
| 2010 | 10 | 1 (10 percent) | 9 (90 percent) |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Title 15.25 of the Alaska Election Law
A person who seeks to become a candidate for office in a primary election must file a declaration of candidacy. This declaration must be made under oath before an authorized officer and must be filed with the Alaska Division of Elections. The form must be delivered in person or by mail at or before 5:00 p.m. on June 1 of the year in which the general election is taking place.[6][7]
At the time of filing a declaration of candidacy, a candidate must pay a nonrefundable filing fee to the Alaska Division of Elections. For the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, United States Senator, and United States Representative, the filing fee is $100. The filing fee for state legislative candidates is $30. Candidates must also submit a financial disclosure form (for further information on campaign finance requirements, see this article).[8]
Write-in candidates
A write-in candidate must file a declaration of intent with the Alaska Division of Elections. The form must be filed no later than five days prior to the general election. A write-in candidate must also file a financial disclosure statement alongside the declaration of intent. If a write-in candidate is running for governor, the candidate must file a joint declaration of intent with a candidate for lieutenant governor.[9][9]
Qualifications
Article II, Section 2 of the Alaska Constitution states: A member of the legislature shall be a qualified voter who has been a resident of Alaska for at least three years and of the district from which elected for at least one year, immediately preceding his filing for office. A senator shall be at least twenty-five years of age.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[10] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $84,000/year | $307/day |
When sworn in
Alaska legislators assume office on the third Tuesday of January following their election.[11][12]
Alaska political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Alaska Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas • Six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | I | I | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | I | I | I | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | S | S |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | S | S | S | S | S | S |
Presidential politics in Alaska
2020 Presidential election results
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
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| ✔ |
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
52.8
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189,951 | 3 |
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| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
42.8
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153,778 | 0 | |
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| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
2.5
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8,897 | 0 | |
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| Jesse Ventura/Cynthia McKinney (Green Party of Alaska) |
0.7
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2,673 | 0 | |
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| Don Blankenship/William Mohr (Constitution Party) |
0.3
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1,127 | 0 | |
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| Brock Pierce/Karla Ballard (Independent) |
0.2
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825 | 0 | |
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| Roque De La Fuente/Darcy Richardson (Alliance Party) |
0.1
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318 | 0 | |
| Other write-in votes |
0.5
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1,961 | 0 | ||
| Total votes: 359,530 |
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Alaska
Redistricting following the 2020 census
Alaska completed its state legislative redistricting on May 24, 2022, when the Alaska Redistricting Board adopted a new map of state Senate districts at the direction of the state supreme court. In its ruling, the Alaska Supreme Court upheld a May 16, 2022, decision by the Third District of Alaska's Superior Court that determined that the mapping of state House districts to Senate ones was unconstitutional and ordered the Alaska Redistricting Board to adopt another proposed plan for pairing the districts. Click here to read more about litigation surrounding Alaska's legislative boundaries. These maps took effect for Alaska's 2022 legislative elections.
Alaska had initially enacted legislative district boundaries on November 10, 2021, following a 3-2 vote by the Alaska Redistricting Board. The three Republican-appointed board members voted in favor of the map and the two nonpartisan board members voted against it.[13] On March 25, 2022, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that one state House and one state Senate district did not comply with the state constitution and required they be redrawn.[14] The Alaska Redistricting Board adopted new legislative district boundaries to comply with the state supreme court's ruling on April 13, 2022.[15]
Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.
Alaska State Senate Districts
before 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Alaska State Senate Districts
after 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Anchorage Daily News, "9 Democrats and 8 Republicans form bipartisan majority in Alaska Senate," November 26, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Alaska Landmine, "Alaska Senate forms bipartisan majority coalition for first time in a decade," November 25, 2022
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska certifies final election results, but three state House races face further hurdles," November 30, 2022
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ Alaska Election Law, "Title 15.25.040," accessed March 24, 2014
- ↑ Alaska Election Law, "Title 15.25.030," accessed October 10, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Election Law, "Title 15.25.050," accessed October 10, 2023
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Secretary of State Division of Elections Candidate Information, "Write-in Candidates," accessed October 10, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ JUSTIA US Law, "Alaska Statutes, Sec. 24.05.080," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ Alaska’s Constitution, "A Citizen’s Guide," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ The Midnight Sun, "‘I pray litigation is swift and just.’ Redistricting Board finalizes plan with attempted dig at dissenters," Nov. 10, 2021
- ↑ Alaska Supreme Court, "In the Matter of the 2021 Redistricting Cases," March 25, 2022
- ↑ Alaska Redistricting Board, "Amended Proclamation of Redistricting," April 13, 2022
