And the winner, by a head, is Alaska Native Democrat Mary Peltola

Peltola beat former Vice Presidential candidate (2008) and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin 51.5% to 48.5% in Alaska's ranked-choice voting on Tuesday.  Politico reports here, the New York Times here, and NPR here.  The Washington Post offers this analysis, focusing not on Peltola's win but on Sarah Palin's loss.  The Associated Press story by Becky Bohrer, picked up by the Los Angeles Times, featured this tidbit: 

Peltola, a former state lawmaker who most recently worked for a commission whose goal is to rebuild salmon resources on the Kuskokwim River, cast herself as a “regular” Alaskan. “I’m not a millionaire. I’m not an international celebrity,” she said.

It also mentioned that August 31, the day the election was called for Peltola, was her 49th birthday.  And 49 is also the number of years her predecessor, Representative Don Young (R), served in the seat before he died in March of this year.  Read more about Young and the Alaska political vibe generally here.

Meanwhile, I've been getting a kick out of Peltola's recent Tweets, including many that reference fish and the state's fishing industry.  This is perhaps not a surprise given her work for a commission to rebuild salmon resources in her home region, but it's a huge difference from the invocation of national politics that we see in so many races.  Peltola seems very focused on the local, on Alaska--what makes it special, what its residents need, and what she'll do for them.  And with that commitment comes a great deal of focus on fishing... 

This next screenshot plays on a trend (or is it a meme?) today to use one word to sum up what one does or cares about.  Amtrak, for example, said "trains," and President Joe Biden said, "democracy." Mary Peltola said "salmon"  😀

Peltola will now vie in November to retain this seat, beyond the completion of Don Young's term.  As of  this evening, she had raised more than $500,000 from across the country to finance her general election campaign.  

Prior Legal Ruralism posts about Peltola are here and here. 

Postscript:  Here are two most screenshots from Sunday, Sept. 4: 

Fish!  Fish and more fish.  I'm gonna' look now for some data on the centrality of fishing to Alaska's economy.  It must be big!  and Mary Peltola knows it.  Indeed, wondering how it compares to the centrality of the salmon to the Yurok tribe in far northern California, on the Klamath River.