Wasilla House seat recount confirms 9-vote win for Republican newcomer

A Wasilla House seat was decided by a nine-vote margin, according to the results of a recount announced Monday by the Alaska Division of Elections.

Republican Rep.-elect Elexie Moore, a real estate agent and newcomer to elected office, was confirmed as winning the House District 28 seat over two Republicans. The Mat-Su race was the closest in this legislative cycle.

State election officials certified results on Nov. 30 that showed Moore won by 12 votes. Out of 9,258 ballots cast, Monday’s recount showed a difference of three votes from the certified results.

Republican Steve Menard, a former Wasilla City Council member, requested the recount on Dec. 5. He said he was skeptical about how the ranked choice tabulation process had redistributed second-choice votes.

Menard had trailed against Moore by 131 first-choice votes. A majority of third-place finisher Jessica Wright’s supporters had ranked Menard second. But it was not enough for him to make up the deficit and win, the tabulation record showed.

Incumbent GOP Rep. Jesse Sumner, a freshman legislator, announced in August that he would not run for reelection, setting up the three-way, all-Republican race for the Wasilla seat.

Menard said Tuesday that he was grateful for the professionalism of the Division of Elections staff. He said the recount process was “very informative,” and he wished Moore well in office.

“Unfortunately, we just came up short,” he said.

Moore is set to take office Jan. 21 when the Alaska Legislature convenes in Juneau. She is set to be a member of the House Republican minority caucus, and serve on the House State Affairs Committee and the House Transportation Committee.