The 2020 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
to represent the
State of Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
, concurrently with the
nationwide presidential election, as well as
other elections to the United States Senate,
elections
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...
to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
and various
state and local elections. Incumbent
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Senator
Dan Sullivan Dan, Danny, or Daniel Sullivan may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Daniel J. Sullivan (born 1940), American film and theater director
* Daniel G. Sullivan, American screenwriter
* Dan Sullivan (musician), indie rock musician
* Dan Panic, Amer ...
won re-election to a second term in office, defeating
Democratic nominee
Al Gross, the son of
Avrum Gross
Avrum M. Gross (February 25, 1936 – May 8, 2018) was an American lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Alaska from 1974 through 1980.
Early life and education
Gross was born on February 25, 1936, in New York City. He was raised in New ...
, who ran as an
independent candidate
An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent.
Some politicians have political views th ...
. John Wayne Howe, the nominee of the
Alaskan Independence Party
The Alaskan Independence Party (AKIP) is an Alaskan nationalist political party that advocates an in-state referendum which would include the option of Alaska becoming an independent country. The party also advocates positions similar to those ...
, was also on the ballot and finished a distant third.
Both primaries took place on August 18, 2020. Some pundits considered this to be a potential "dark horse" flip for the Democrats, as Gross did unexpectedly well in polling despite Alaska usually being considered a Republican stronghold, even leading in some polls. However, this lead did not materialize. Sullivan won re-election by a margin of 12.7%, triple his average lead in the pre-election polling. Sullivan also became the first candidate since
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
to win a Senate election in Alaska with more than 50% of the vote.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
*
Dan Sullivan Dan, Danny, or Daniel Sullivan may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Daniel J. Sullivan (born 1940), American film and theater director
* Daniel G. Sullivan, American screenwriter
* Dan Sullivan (musician), indie rock musician
* Dan Panic, Amer ...
, incumbent U.S. Senator
Withdrawn
* Adam Master Newman
Endorsements
Primary results
Libertarian–Democratic–Independence primary
Candidates from the
Alaska Democratic Party
The Alaska Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in Alaska, headquartered in Anchorage.
It is one of two major parties in Alaska, alongside the Alaska Republican Party. The Democratic Party holds Alaska's at-large congres ...
, the
Alaska Libertarian Party
The Libertarian Party of Alaska is the affiliate of the Libertarian Party (LP) in Alaska, headquartered in Anchorage.
It is the third-largest active party in Alaska and has the highest percentage of registered Libertarians of any state. Sinc ...
, and the
Alaskan Independence Party
The Alaskan Independence Party (AKIP) is an Alaskan nationalist political party that advocates an in-state referendum which would include the option of Alaska becoming an independent country. The party also advocates positions similar to those ...
appear on the same ballot, with the highest-placed candidate from each party receiving that party's nomination. In October 2017, the Alaska Democratic Party sued for the right to allow non-Democrats to compete for and win the Democratic nomination, which was ultimately decided in their favor in April 2018.
Democratic candidates
Nominee
*
Al Gross (Independent), orthopedic surgeon, commercial fisherman, and son of former
Alaska Attorney General
The Alaska Attorney General is the chief legal advisor to the Government of Alaska, government of the State of Alaska and to its List of Governors of Alaska, governor. The Attorney General is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alaska L ...
Avrum Gross
Avrum M. Gross (February 25, 1936 – May 8, 2018) was an American lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Alaska from 1974 through 1980.
Early life and education
Gross was born on February 25, 1936, in New York City. He was raised in New ...
Eliminated in primary
*
Edgar Blatchford
Edgar Blatchford (born November 24, 1950) is an American politician, academic, and attorney, and perennial candidate who served as the mayor of Seward, Alaska. Blatchford sought the 2016 Democratic Party nomination for United States Senate, losin ...
(Democratic), Democratic candidate in the
2016 election for the U.S. Senate, founder and former editor and publisher of
Alaska Newspapers, Inc., former Mayor of
Seward (1999–2003) and former commissioner of the
[
*Chris Cumings (Independent), Democratic candidate in the 2018 election for ]Alaska's at-large congressional district
Since becoming a U.S. state in 1959, Alaska has been entitled to one member in the United States House of Representatives, elected in the state's sole, at-large congressional district. By area, Alaska's congressional district is the largest con ...
and ex-bank employee[
]
Disqualified from the ballot
*Larry N. Barnes (Independent)[
]
Withdrawn
*David Darden (Independent), nonpartisan candidate for Anchorage Assembly District 3 Seat E in the 2018 special election[
]
Alaskan Independence candidates
Nominee
*John Howe (Alaskan Independence), machinist
Endorsements
Primary results
Other candidates
Green Party
Nominee
*Jed Whittaker, Green nominee in the 1996 United States Senate election in Alaska and salvage company owner ''(write-in candidate)''[
]
Independent
Declared
*Sidney "Sid" Hill, Independent write-in candidate for the 2018 election in Alaska's at-large congressional district
Since becoming a U.S. state in 1959, Alaska has been entitled to one member in the United States House of Representatives, elected in the state's sole, at-large congressional district. By area, Alaska's congressional district is the largest con ...
, Independent write-in candidate for the 2014 United States Senate election in Alaska and LaRouchite ''(write-in candidate)''
*Karen Nanouk ''(write-in candidate)''[
]
Withdrawn
*David Matheny, wildfire technician
General election
Predictions
Endorsements
Polls
;Graphical summary
;Polling
;with Forrest Dunbar
;with Forrest Dunbar as an independent
Results
Notes
;Partisan clients
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
* (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...
)
*
;Official campaign websites
Al Gross (I) for Senate
John Howe (AI) for Senate
Dan Sullivan (R) for Senate
{{Notable third party performances in United States elections
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...