Will the national blue wave that has shifted control of the U.S. Congress continue surging into lower Cook Inlet and Alaska? As Alaska and the Southern Kenai Peninsula awaited state and local results, that’s the question for moderates and progressives who mounted a spirited campaign this election.
As of 10 p.m., with eight out of nine precincts counted, results locally showed Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, leading over nonpartisan candidate Brent Johnson, with 3,942 votes or 51.42% to 3,716 or 48.47% for Johnson.
“I’m going to wait until all the votes are counted, because we’re close enough that there’s a chance,” Johnson said. “Every little vote is going to help.”
Unofficial results were not quite so close two years ago when Johnson first challenged Vance for her seat.
“I knew that I lost on election night and called and conceded on election night. But not tonight, because I think there’s a chance,” he said. “The thing that’s baffling me is why did we do so good in the primary, and that didn’t really translate to this.”
In August’s primary, Johnson came out with more than a 13-point lead over Vance.
Vance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the Senate District C race with 16 out of 21 precincts reported, Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, part of the current House Majority Coalition, has a strong lead over fellow Republican Heath Smith, a former Homer City Council member. Stutes has 4,967 votes or 47.76% and Smith has 4,139 votes or 39.80%. Carrie Harris of Anchor Point has 1,205 votes or 11.59%. Stutes needs to win 50% plus one vote to avoid ranked choice tabulation.
“You gotta wait til the fat lady sings, so I’m waiting till the fat lady sings, but I’ll be playing the music, hopefully,” Stutes said.
Smith said it was “too soon to have a clear indication of what districts are outstanding,” he wrote in a text message.
Time will tell if voting reformations such as ranked choice voting, candidate financial disclosures and open primaries will be repealed under Ballot Measure 2. As of 10 p.m., with nearly 70% of precincts counted, 51% of voters have voted “No” on the measure, with less than 49% in favor.
Ballot Measure 3, on citizenship voting, is likely to pass, with an overwhelming 70% majority of counted ballots in favor as of Tuesday night.
In Homer City Council elections, running for two seats, incumbent council members Caroline Venuti and Bradley Parsons have won reelection with 508 votes for Venuti and 457 for Parsons. Challenger Matthew Bullard trailed with 382 votes.
Nearly 75% of voters also approved the Homer Accelerated Roads and Trails Fund’s renewal. The HART Fund finances construction and maintenance of city roads, trails and sidewalks.
Parsons said he was “overjoyed” by the HART Fund’s renewal, and that he was “humbled and honored for the opportunity to continue to serve” on the council.
Venuti thanked the election workers and everyone who turned out to vote in Homer, as well as her fellow candidates.
“I am so excited. It’s a real privilege to serve on the city council,” she said. “I thought the city did a great job with the early voting … but today was really phenomenal too.”
For the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly District 8 seat, Theo Noomah appears to have won with 513 votes or 52% to Larry Anthony with 460 votes or 46.7%.
With absentee ballots still to be counted, Noomah said he wasn’t ready to celebrate yet but he felt encouraged by Tuesday’s unofficial results.
Homer City Council member Shelly Ericskson ran unopposed for Homer Mayor and Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche ran unopposed for reelection.
In the governor’s race, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins outpaces all three Republican candidates with 96,922 votes, nearly 49% of the total vote. Bernadette Wilson, endorsed by President Trump, follows with 58,434 or 29.46%. Dave Bronson has 27,885, or 14.06%, and Treg Taylor has 14,548 or 7.33%.
With 70% of the precincts counted for Alaska’s U.S. Senate and House seats as of 10 p.m., incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan has a hairsbreadth lead over Democratic challenger Mary Peltola. Sullivan has 97,411 votes or 48.59% while Peltola has 94,941 votes, or 47.36%. Peltola had led slightly in earlier results.
Dan J. Sullivan from Petersburg and Gerald Heikes together have received less than 4% of the total vote. The U.S. Department of Justice had filed a lawsuit seeking a pause on certification of the senate race, alleging voters might be confused by a second Dan Sullivan on the ballot, but an Alaska federal judge on Sunday dismissed that lawsuit.
Petersburg’s Sullivan, accused of being a spoiler candidate to steal votes from the incumbent Senator, is the lowest-ranking vote-getter in the closely-watched Senate race, with 3,303 votes. Heikes so far has 4,177.
Rep. Nick Begich III holds a strong lead over nonpartisan Bill Hill, with 99,759 votes, or 49.98%. Hill has 79,950 votes, or 40.05%
Democrat Eric Hafner, a federal inmate in New York, has received 14,294 votes, or 7.16%. Libertarian James McDermott has 5,313 votes, or 2.66%.
Nationally, the Associated Press reported that control of the U.S. Senate would likely to shift to Democrats and Independents — even with results not yet in for a tight race between Republican incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola. Democrats held or flipped seats, including Iowa, Kansas, Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia and New Hampshire, according to the AP. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine conceded to her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, the AP also reported. Democrats also have won control of the House.
Final unofficial state results won’t be available until Nov. 18
While the majority of Election Day results are typically posted by noon Wednesday, the final unofficial state results won’t be available until Nov. 18, after the Alaska Division of Elections performs the ranked choice tabulation. For state and federal elections, early voting through last Thursday was counted tonight. Early voting on Friday and Monday will be counted later. Absentee voting in person for city and borough elections won’t be counted until later this week.
Nov. 18 is also the deadline for the last absentee ballots to be counted.
The division expects to publish official election results on Nov. 25, according to the Alaska Beacon.
Because a disproportionate number of Democratic voters have cast ballots in advance of Election Day and some advance votes are counted after Election Day, initial results will be more right-leaning than the final result, the Beacon reported.
The City of Homer Canvass Board will count absentee and other ballots on Friday, and the council will certify Tuesday’s election results on Monday during the regular council meeting. Newly elected or reelected members of the Homer City Council will be sworn in at the end of that meeting and take their seats at the dais starting Nov. 23.
New Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly members will be sworn in Tuesday.
Voters stream to the polls
Poll workers in Anchor Point and several Homer voting locations reported steady voter turnout all day long, with the usual expected rushes further increasing voter volume in the early morning, at noon and after 5 p.m.
Shortly after 4 p.m., more than 450 Homer residents had cast their state ballots at Kachemak Bay Campus, the Homer 1 polling place. Nearly 900 cast ballots in the borough/city election.
By 5:30 p.m. at the Homer United Methodist Church, Homer 2, more than 450 voters cast ballots in the state election.
With state and municipal elections combined this year for the first time, poll workers were concerned about potential issues with managing the flow of voters and multiple ballots. But all turned out to be smooth sailing, they said.
“It’s never been quiet, but it’s never been, you know crazy crazy,” said Liz Niznik, co-chair of the Homer 1 municipal precinct.
Kent Smith at Homer 2 at Homer United Methodist Church has worked the polls for more than 10 years. He said Tuesday’s voter turnout was “the most consistent year” he’s ever seen.
“I didn’t think it was going to go good, but (this room) is actually big enough that we can handle it. The only drawback to this is … we need about two or three more booths,” he said.
Showing the enthusiasm that swept the nation, in Homer supporters of moderate and progressive candidates held a rally from the morning until mid-afternoon when high winds and light rain challenged the spirits of the hardiest sign wavers. Rep. Sarah Vance and a few supporters braved the rally to wave signs.
Results (as of 10 p.m.)
U.S. Senator Votes %
Gerald Heikes, Rep. 4,177 2.08%
Mary Peltola, Dem. 94,941 47.36%
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. 3,303 1.65%
Dan S. Sullivan, Rep. 97,411 48.59%
U.S. Representative Votes %
Nick Begich III, Rep.P 99,759 49.98%
Eric Hafner, Dem. 14,294 7.16%
Bill Hill, non. 79,950 40.05%
James C. McDermott, Lib. 5,313 2.66%
Governor/Lt. Governor Votes %
Bronson/Church, Rep. 27,885 14.06%
Kreiss-Tomkins/Johnson,
Dem./non. 96,922 48.86%
Taylor/English, Rep. 14,548 7.33%
Wilson/Shower, Rep. 58,434 29.46%
Alaska Senate District C Votes %
Carrie L. Harris, Rep. 1,205 11.59%
Heath Smith, Rep. 4,139 39.8%
Louise Stutes, Rep. 4,967 47.76%
Alaska House District 6 Votes %
Sarah L. Vance, Rep. 3,942 51.42%
Brent Johnson, Non. 3,716 48.47%
Ballot Measure 2 Votes %
Yes 93,200 48.65%
No 98,367 51.35%
Ballot Measure 3 Votes %
Yes 134,378 69.99%
No 57,606 30.01%
Homer Mayor Votes %
Shelly Erickson 862 95.25%
Homer City Council Votes %
(top two elected)
Caroline Venuti 508 Bradley Parsons 457 Matthew Bullard 382
Homer City Proposition Votes %
A: HART Fund
Yes 754 74.73%
No 255 25.27%
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Mayor Votes %
Peter Micciche 11,428 94.85%
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Assembly, District 8 Votes %
Larry Anthony 460 46.7%
Theo Noomah 513 52.08%
Kenai Peninsula Borough,
South Peninsula Hospital
Service Area Board Votes %
Seat D, Meg WrightSmith 1,959 96.12%
Seat E, Francie Roberts 2,102 96.42%
Seat F, Tamara Fletcher 2,006 96.16%
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Proposition 1:
School Board term limits
Yes 11,915 89.14%
No 1,451 10.86%
Ballots issued/received, Alaska election
| Ballot Type | Number Issued | Number Received |
| By Fax | 21 | 3 |
| By Mail | 42,455 | 26,826 |
| Early Vote | 67,935 | 67,935 |
| Federal Write-In (Absentee) | 0 | 0 |
| In-Person (Absentee) | 7,805 | 7,805 |
| Online Delivery | 8,041 | 2,586 |
| Questioned | ||
| Special Needs | 264 | 264 |
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