Recount to be held for Wasilla state House seat with 12-vote margin

JUNEAU — The Alaska Division of Elections will hold a recount for a Wasilla House seat decided by 12 votes in last month’s election.

Republican Rep.-elect Elexie Moore was certified Saturday as having won a three-way race to replace outgoing GOP Rep. Jesse Sumner. The 12-vote margin for House District 28 was the closest this legislative cycle.

Heading into the Nov. 20 ranked choice voting tabulation process, Moore was narrowly ahead with 37.3% of first-choice votes against fellow Republican Steve Menard, who had 35.6%. Jessica Wright, another Republican, had 25.6%.

After Wright was eliminated, a majority of her supporters’ second-choice votes went to Menard. However, he still finished behind Moore.

Menard, a former Wasilla City Council member, filed the recount petition Dec. 5 — the last day recounts can be requested under state law. He said by phone that he wanted to have another look at how the tabulation process was calculated.

”I just want to make sure that everything was counted appropriately,” he said.

Moore said by text that “the public process and election integrity are vitally important” and she respected Menard’s decision to request a recount.

Carol Beecher, director of the Division of Elections, said the HD 28 recount would begin Monday at 11 a.m. It will be held in conjunction with the ongoing recount of the narrowly defeated ballot measure to repeal ranked choice voting, she said.

Under Alaska law, the state will pay for election recounts in races with a margin of fewer than 20 votes.