Businessman Nick Begich, a Republican endorsed by Donald Trump, beat first-term Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) for the state’s sole seat in the House of Representatives.
Begich’s win Wednesday came after the Alaska Division of Elections tabulated voters’ backup choices under the state’s novel ranked choice voting system.
Neither Begich nor Peltola were able to garner a majority of first-choice votes on Nov. 5, setting up the need to tabulate the ranked choice totals. Begich came into the night with a bit over 48% of the vote, though, and was thus heavily favored to win.
Begich won 51.31% after two rounds of ranked choice tabulations, compared to Peltola’s 48.69%.
Four candidates were competing in all, and while Peltola and Begich ― a member of a prominent Alaska political family ― were the most well known, many observers had thought it was unlikely either could win outright Nov. 5, and that at least one round of vote tabulation would be required.
Under Alaska’s ranked…
