Alaska
Welcome to the Alaska state page! Here, Alaska organizers can access and document ongoing projects, current leadership positions, upcoming races, and other important information. This list is non-exhaustive, and state teams are encouraged to expand and adapt these pages to their organizing needs.
Political Landscape of Alaska
Partisan Composition of Alaska
Overall, Alaska is considered a red state, with a Cook PVI of R+8 as of 2022, regularly voting 50-55% Republican in statewide races with a recent leftward shift. Though their governor and both US Senators are Republicans, their US House representative is a Democrat. Alaska's state legislature ultimately operates on a power-sharing agreement, but the state house consists of 21 Republicans, 13 Democrats and 6 Independents whereas their state senate consists of 11 Republicans and 9 Democrats (as of 2/8/24).
Progressive Outlook for Alaska
The overall progressive strategy for Alaska is optimistic. The state operates on ranked-choice voting with much lower partisanship than most, so there are many swing voters who earnestly want the best person for the job. Alaska has a high chance of becoming a future blue state, as even their conservatives take pride in conservation and certain issues considered more liberal in other areas. The main thing keeping Alaska red is oil and guns. As such, Mary Peltola is the most important figure for progressives in Alaska. Alaska also allows for citizen-led ballot initiatives, so this is also a fruitful avenue for change. Alaska uses a top four open primary system with ranked-choice voting for the general election, so there is much more freedom in who you can vote for than in most states. It is advised here to check the polls for statewide races and vote accordingly - most Democrats voted for Peltola and Murkowski on the same ballot in 2022, for instance, as they were both the furthest-left candidates who could conceivably win their races despite coming from different parties. As such, you should keep this in mind with general elections here. Since Alaska has a ranked-choice voting system, third party and independent candidates are viable.
Get Involved
Register to Vote in Alaska
Progressive Organizations in Alaska
Below is a list of progressive organizations in Alaska. If you see a state organization that isn't on this list, please add it.
- Alaska Democrats: A strong red state Dem party, given Alaska's population and general lean, this would be the first place to look if you'd like to flip Alaska blue. They're a good resource on finding races near you to work on in either the primary or general elections.
Notable Campaigns in 2024
Below is a list of progressive candidates or ballot measures in the 2024 election cycle for Alaska. Non-progressive candidates may also be placed here if they are substantially to the left of their district's partisan lean and worth campaigning for. If you see a candidate or ballot measure that should be on this list, please add them.
November 5th General Election
- Mary Peltola For US Congress - There is no progressive movement in Alaska without Mary Peltola. Period. Though she isn't great on certain issues, she is the furthest-left representative Alaska has had in their history and is effectively depriving Republicans of a house seat while singlehandedly moving Alaska leftward. Re-electing her in 2024, solidifying her base of support, could earnestly lead to Alaska becoming blue on the federal, state, and presidential level within the next 20 years. Her campaign is the number 1 progressive priority for Alaskans and the easiest way for any progressive in the state to leave their mark.
Run for Local Office
An underrated way to impact change is to run for a local position! Please feel free to add information on doing so below.