Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, left, appears with then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally at the Iowa State University on Jan. 19, 2016, in Ames, Iowa. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has picked up a prized endorsement in her bid in an extremely crowded field to fill the unexpired term of the late U.S. Rep. Don Young. Former President Donald Trump backed Palin on Sunday, April 3, 2022, in a statement from his political action committee. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, left, appears with then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally at the Iowa State University on Jan. 19, 2016, in Ames, Iowa. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has picked up a prized endorsement in her bid in an extremely crowded field to fill the unexpired term of the late U.S. Rep. Don Young. Former President Donald Trump backed Palin on Sunday, April 3, 2022, in a statement from his political action committee. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Trump endorses Palin in bid for Alaska’s sole House seat

A total of 51 candidates signed up by the Friday deadline to run in a special primary following Young’s death

Mark Thiessen

Associated Press

ANCHORAGE — Former Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin picked up a prized endorsement from former President Donald Trump in her bid to fill the remainder of the late U.S. Rep. Don Young’s term.

Trump backed Palin late Sunday in a statement from his political action committee.

“Wonderful patriot Sarah Palin just announced that she is running for Congress, and that means there will be a true America First fighter on the ballot,” the statement says.

A total of 51 candidates signed up by the Friday deadline to run in a special primary following Young’s death on March 18 at age 88. The top four vote-getters will advance to an Aug. 16 special election, in which ranked choice voting will be used. The winner will serve until January, when the current term ends.

Some of candidates who filed for the special primary — including Palin — have also filed to seek a regular two-term House term starting in January.

Candidates had until noon Monday to remove their names from consideration. Three candidates withdrew by the deadline, leaving the field at 48 candidates, Alaska Division of Elections spokesperson Tiffany Montemayor said in an email.

Other candidates with name recognition include Nick Begich, grandson of former Rep. Nick Begich, who died in office and held Alaska’s sole seat in the House before Young was elected in 1973; a North Pole City Council member who legally changed his name to Santa Claus; former lawmakers John Coghill and Andrew Halcro; Anchorage Assembly member Christopher Constant; former U.S. Senate candidate Al Gross; Emil Notti, an Alaska Native leader who narrowly lost to Young in the 1973 election; and Josh Revak and Tara Sweeney, who were co-chairs of Young’s reelection campaign.

This is the third time Trump has issued an endorsement in Alaska races. Earlier he backed Kelly Tshibaka, a former state official, in her bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Trump has vowed revenge against Murkowski, a Republican, after she voted to convict him in his impeachment trial and also called on him to resign after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Tshibaka has trailed Murkowski in campaign funds. Murkowski ended 2021 with $4.3 million cash on hand, while Tshibaka reported just over $600,000.

Campaign finance reports are due soon for the first quarter of 2022. Tshibaka’s report will cover a Feb. 10 fundraiser hosted with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

The other endorsement Trump gave was to Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, but that was conditional. Trump said Dunleavy would receive his blessing if Dunleavy didn’t endorse Murkowski, a condition and endorsement Dunleavy accepted.

Palin endorsed Trump early in 2016 before he won the presidency that year.

“Now, it’s my turn,” he said, calling her a champion of Alaska values, energy jobs and its people.

Palin in 2008 was selected by then-Sen. John McCain to be his running mate against then-Sen. Barack Obama. Trump said she “lifted the McCain presidential campaign out of the dumps” — even though they were ultimately defeated by Obama.

Trump said he was “proud to give her my complete and total endorsement.”

Palin thanked Trump on Twitter, saying she was “honored to have your support.”

The June 11 special primary will be conducted primarily by mail, a statewide first, with state election officials citing the tight timeline to hold the event as a major factor. The Aug. 16 special election will coincide with the regular primary.

Voters in 2020 approved a new elections system that ends party primaries and institutes ranked voting for general elections. Those processes will be used for the first time in Alaska this year.

Elections officials are targeting Sept. 2 to certify the winner of the special election.

The regular primary and November general election will determine who represents Alaska in the House for a two-year term starting in January.

More in News

The Kenai Peninsula College main entrance on Aug. 18, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Chiappone and Dunstan to speak at the KPC Showcase

Kenai Peninsula College continues its showcase with two new speakers this week and next

U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, talks about issues of concern regarding the proposed merger of supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons during a floor speech in the House chamber on Wednesday. (Screenshot from official U.S. House of Representatives video feed)
Begich leads in early results, but Alaska’s U.S. House race won’t be immediately decided

About 245,000 ballots had been counted by 11:32 p.m., and Peltola trailed by about 5 percentage points

The Alaska governor’s mansion on Wednesday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is considered a contender for a post in Donald Trump’s second presidential administration. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Election summary: Trump wins, GOP takes over U.S. Senate, Alaska may get new governor

Begich and repeal of ranked choice voting narrowly lead; GOP may lose control of state House.

Nesbett Courthouse in downtown Anchorage on Oct. 7, 2024. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Voters line up at the polling site at Anchorage City Hall on Nov. 4, 2024. City Hall was one of the designated early voting sites in Alaska’s largest city. It is not a designated site for Election Day voting. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska Republicans lose two seats in state House, increasing odds of leadership switch

Rural Alaska precincts had reported few results by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

Donald Trump won or was leading as of Wednesday morning in all seven swing states in the 2024 presidential election. (Doug Mills / The New York Times)
Donald Trump returns to power, ushering in new era of uncertainty

He played on fears of immigrants and economic worries to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.

A voter is handed as ballot at Woodworth School in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. One of the most consequential presidential elections in the nation’s modern history is well underway, as voters flocked to churches, schools and community centers to shape the future of American democracy. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
Trump verges on victory, picking up Pennsylvania

Donald Trump has captured Pennsylvania, the biggest prize of the seven battleground… Continue reading

Signs and supporters line the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Unofficial results for the 2024 general election

Preliminary, unofficial election results as of 9:55 p.m.

Poll worker Carol Louthan helps voters submit ballots at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Bjorkman, Ruffridge, Elam and Vance lead in election night results

Several residents said that they came out to vote because they knew this election was “a big one.”

Most Read