State Government

Alaska voters have voted against a proposal to re-establish a coastal management program.

With 97 percent of precincts reporting, 61.84 percent of the vote was against Ballot Measure 2 and 38.16 percent for it.

The fight over Ballot Measure 2 became the most expensive campaign in Alaska this election. More than $1.7 million was raised. Most of that was by the opposition group “Vote No on 2.” Resource development and industry groups largely bankrolled the group’s effort. That caused the group behind the initiative, the Alaska Sea Party, to cast funding for the opposition as being led by outside interests.

Alaska had a coastal management program for decades, but it ended last year, after the Legislature and governor failed to come to terms on its reauthorization.

Wrangell Representative Peggy Wilson knocked out two Ketchikan opponents to win the Republican nomination for the new House District 33.

Ketchikan is the largest community in the district, which also includes Saxman, Coffman Cove, Thorne Bay and several other Prince of Wales Island communities.

Wilson won 46 percent of the 2,145 ballots cast. Ketchikan’s Agnes Moran took 32 percent and Patti Mackey, also from Ketchikan, got 22 percent.

Ketchikan Democrat Matt Olsen was unopposed in the race and will face Wilson in the November 6th general election. Incumbent Republican Representative Kyle Johansen of Ketchikan will appear on that ballot as an independent.

No other Southeast legislative primary had an in-party race this year.

The new House District 33 had one Republican and one Democrat on the ballot.

Political newcomer Jonathon Kreiss-Tomkins of Sitka collected 1,256 ballots for the Democratic nomination. Incumbent Bill Thomas of Haines wrapped up the GOP nomination with 937 votes. The district also includes Craig, Hoonah, Angoon, Kake and Metlakatla.

The new Senate District Q also saw one candidate from each party, each an incumbent.

Sitka Republican Bert Stedman won his party’s nomination with 2,874 votes. Democrat Albert Kookesh clinched his party’s slot with 1,462.

The primary winners face off against each other in the November general election.

There’s no race for either of Juneau’s House Districts. Republican Cathy Munoz is unopposed in District 31, which includes Juneau’s Mendenhall Valley and airport area. So is Democrat Beth Kerttula, whose District 32 includes downtown Juneau, Douglas, Petersburg, Skagway and Gustavus.

Juneau’s Senate seat, District P, is not on the ballot this year.

Click here to read all the primary results.

Alaska Primary 2012          U.S. Representative & Ballot Measures           Alaska Senate          Alaska House

Today is primary election day statewide.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and will stay open until 8 o’clock tonight.

Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai says she expects the first results to hit the web about 9 p.m., but it will be late before all the results are in, since some rural precincts still count their ballots by hand.

“So those are usually the precincts that are the latest to report. Usually it’s around 11, midnight just because of the hand count precincts. They just take a long time to get their results in,” she says.

Absentee ballots from overseas are accepted up to 15 days after the election.

Fenumiai says the plan is to count ballots cast in the early voting process tonight with ballots cast on Election Day.

“Our first count of absentee ballots and the remaining early votes will be done seven days following the election. We go through a process to check for duplicate voting to make sure people did not vote a by-mail ballot then go to their polling place and vote on Election Day,” she says.

The state review board will convene on Sept. 12, the 16th day after the election. Fenumiai anticipates the election will be certified about Sept. 20.

Check back before 9 p.m. for election results. Also tune into KTOO Radio at 9, 10 and 11 p.m. for statewide updates from the Alaska Public Radio Network.

Alaska Primary 2012          U.S. Representative & Ballot Measures           Alaska Senate          Alaska House

Check back here this evening for live coverage of the results as they come in from around the state.

Alaska Primary 2012          U.S. Representative & Ballot Measures           Alaska Senate          Alaska House

Check back here this evening for live coverage of the results as they come in from around the state.

Alaska Primary 2012          U.S. Representative & Ballot Measures           Alaska Senate          Alaska House

Check back here this evening for live coverage of the results as they come in from around the state.

Alaska Primary 2012          U.S. Representative & Ballot Measures           Alaska Senate          Alaska House