Alaska held its primaries on August 24. To almost everyone’s great surprise, little-known Republican candidate Joe Miller appears to have defeated Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski. However, many ballots remain to be counted.
This column in the Anchorage Daily News, by Sean Cockerham, suggests that new candidates may now enter the race. The petition deadline for independent candidates was August 24, so no one can enter the race as an independent. But, Cockerham notes, qualified parties who already had a nominee are free to substitute a new nominee, if the original nominee withdraws. He discusses the possibility that either the Democratic Party, or the Libertarian Party, might name a new nominee if the original nominee withdraws. No other parties have a nominee for U.S. Senate. The Alaskan Independence Party did not enter that race. UPDATE: this article quotes Scott Kohlhaas, a leader of the Alaska Libertarian Party, hinting that the Libertarian Party likes some issue stances of Lisa Murkowski.
Joe Miller, not Joe Scott; and he hasn’t been declared the victor yet (although he probably will be.)
Maybe that’s why you think he isn’t well known; you’re looking for the wrong name.
Thanks!
What about the Alaska Green Party?
Who is their candidate?
Joe Miller is the apparent winner of the Republican primary (though there are outstanding absentee ballots). Miller was endorsed by Sarah Palin, who defeated Lisa Murkowski’s father to become governor. Scott McAdams is the Democratic nominee, and the article notes that he is little known outside of Sitka, in the panhandle where he is mayor.
Joe Scott was not on any ballot, and would appear to be totally unknown. Maybe you are thinking of Rick Scott who won the Republican nomination in Florida.
It is unlikely that the Democratic or Libertarian nominee in Alaska would withdraw in order that a Republican incumbent might win re-election.
The Green Party has been off the ballot for over 5 years.
There was no Green on the ballot; just Democrats, Libertarians, and AIP.
The Green party is not currently ballot-qualified in Alaska. (It’s a long story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_of_Alaska#Ballot_status
Does Alaska’s Democratic/minor party blanket primary apply to congressional races, or just to races for state offices?
In the days of Alaska’s “all party” blanket primary, each party had its own separate congressional primary.
@Steve:
There was a Libertarian listed, along with three Democrats, for US Senate on the Democratic/Open ballot.
So I believe the answer to your question is yes.
There was only one candidate listed, a Democrat, for US House.
You can see the ballots on this page: http://www.elections.alaska.gov/ei_primary_pesb.php
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Thank you.
Currently, of course, ANY voter is eligible to vote in the Democratic//Libertarian//AK Independence blanket primary, while independents are invited to vote in the Republican primary. Obviously, the reason the website doesn’t say who’s eligible to vote in which primary is that the Republicans could begin excluding independents; and independents and/or Republicans could be excluded from the Democratic//minor party blanket primary.
Interesting, too, that if a voter requests a primary ballot for which he’s not eligible, he’s given that ballot anyway, and it’s considered a “questioned ballot.”
Also, the Alaska Republicans could begin inviting members of opposing parties to vote in Republican primaries.
@Steve (10)
It says so elsewhere on the site: http://www.elections.alaska.gov/ei_primary.php
“Alaska’s Primary Structure
Alaska law allows a political party to select who may participate in their party’s primary. Parties may expand or limit who may participate in their Primary Election by submitting a written notice with a copy of their pre cleared by-laws to the Director of Elections no later than September 1st of the year prior to the year in which a Primary Election is to be held.
Based on political party by-laws submitted to the Division of Elections there are three ballot choices:
Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska Libertarian Party and Alaskan Independence Party Candidate with Ballot Measures ballot – any registered voter may vote this ballot;
Alaska Republican Party Candidate with Ballot Measures ballot – voters registered as Republican, Nonpartisan or Undeclared may vote this ballot;
and the Ballot Measures Only ballot – any registered voter may vote this ballot.
The political party affiliation listed on a voter’s registration record 30 days prior to the election determines which primary ballot type a voter is eligible to vote.”
Voter rolls are printed 60 days before in some cases, so if you changed your affiliation in the interim, you could be listed incorrectly (I had the same problem when I moved shortly before an election.)
The Democrats could make their own ballot, like the Republicans have; but the Libertarians and AIP would still both appear on the Open ballots (so there would then be four ballots to pick from).
The Libertarian and AK Independence parties could also have their own separate primaries if they wanted to.
State law prohibited a blanket primary and required each party to have a separate primary. But the Democrats and minor parties wanted to list all their candidates on the same primary ballot, and the state Supreme Court ruled that parties could join in a blanket primary if they wanted to.
MSNBC (Chuck Todd) has reported this morning that the Lisa Murkowski campaign is considering asking the Libertarian Party nominee to step aside so she can run on the Libertarian Party label.
As I have shared before, I am not a Libertarian. However, if the Libertarian Party leadership has any “common sense” at all, they will ask their nominee for the US. Senate to step down, and allow Lisa Murkowski to become the nominee – if she is interested.
As I understand, Murkowski has the means to finance the strongest 3rd party campaign ever in Alaska. She also has a better chance to win than any Libertarian there ever for a major statewide office.
Again, if you Libertarians want what could be a “once in a lifetime chance” to win a major statewide office, then do the right thing. Nominate Ms. Murkowski.
Maybe her dad could ask the Democratic Party candidate to step aside?
If Murkowski were to get re-elected as a Libertarian, would she continue to caucus with the Senate Republicans?
Or would she form her own caucus and meet in a phone booth?
It seems to me that Murkowski would be vulnerable to the same kind of lawsuit that FL Gov. Charlie Crist is facing, since a lot of people gave her money assuming that she would remain a Republican.
The Tea Party movement does seem to be having some effect. Maybe it will snowball as the economy continues downwards over the next few years.