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Forty-eight candidates are running in the June 11 special primary election for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat after the death of longtime U.S. Rep. Don Young in March.
The Anchorage Daily News reached out to all 48 candidates to ask about their qualifications, why they’re running and what their top priority would be if elected. Thirty-three replied to the survey.
Ballots went out to about 560,000 voters in late April. The deadline to register to vote or update your mailing address with the state Division of Elections is May 12. In the special primary, which is an all-mail election, ballots must be postmarked on or before election day, which is June 11.
The nonpartisan, open primary is Alaska’s first under a new statewide election system approved by voters in 2020. Voters are being asked to pick one candidate, then mail their ballot back to the Division of Elections by the June 11 deadline. The top four vote-getters in the June special primary will advance to the Aug. 16 special general election, which will use ranked-choice voting to determine who will serve out the rest of Young’s term.
[Q&A: How to vote in Alaska’s first all-mail election]
You can read each U.S. House candidate’s response in the links below. Scroll farther down for answers from individual candidates. Find more coverage of Alaska’s 2022 congressional elections here.
COMPARE THE CANDIDATES BY QUESTION
What in your background qualifies you to represent Alaskans in Congress?
Why are you running for U.S. Congress in Alaska?
What would be your top priority if elected to Congress?
What is your position on abortion?
Would you support expanding the size of the Supreme Court?
What should the federal government do to address mass shootings?
Do you support gun control legislation?
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THE CANDIDATES
Click on each name to see all of that candidate’s responses
Dennis “Denny” W. Aguayo (nonpartisan) - did not respond
Brian T. Beal (undeclared) - did not respond
Tim Beck (undeclared) - responded only to questions about abortion
Gregg B. Brelsford* (undeclared) - did not respond to questions about gun control
Robert Brown (nonpartisan) - did not respond to questions about gun control
Chris Bye* (Libertarian) - did not respond to questions on abortion
John T. Callahan (R) - did not respond
Lady Donna Dutchess* (nonpartisan) - did not respond
Laurel A. Foster (nonpartisan) - did not respond to questions about abortion or gun control
Thomas “Tom” R. Gibbons (R) - did not respond to questions on abortion
Karyn Griffin (undeclared) - did not respond to questions about abortion or gun control
Andrew J. Halcro (nonpartisan)
Ted S. Heintz (Libertarian) - did not respond to questions about gun control
William “Bill” D. Hibler III (nonpartisan) - responded only to questions about abortion
John Wayne Howe (Alaska Independence Party) - did not respond to questions on abortion
David Hughes* (undeclared) - did not respond
Don Knight (nonpartisan) - did not respond to questions about abortion or gun control
Jeff B. Lowenfels* (nonpartisan)
Robert “Bob” Lyons* (R) - did not respond
Anne M. McCabe (nonpartisan) - did not respond
Mike E. Melander (R) - did not respond to questions about gun control
Sherry M. Mettler (undeclared) - did not respond to questions about abortion or gun control
Emil Notti (D) - did not respond
Robert Ornelas (American Independent Party) - did not respond to questions about gun control
Silvio E. Pellegrini (undeclared)
Joshua C. Revak* (R) - did not respond to questions about abortion or gun control
Maxwell Sumner (R) - did not respond
David Thistle (undeclared) - did not respond to questions about abortion or gun control
Ernest F. Thomas (D) - did not respond
Richard “Clayton” Trotter (R) - did not respond
Bradley D. Welter (R) - did not respond
Jason G. Williams (undeclared) - did not respond
Jo Woodward (R) - did not respond to questions about abortion or gun control
Stephen Wright (R) - did not respond to questions about gun control
*Candidates who are also running in Alaska’s regular U.S. House primary election in August