Alaska voters narrowed the field for the state’s only U.S. House seat on Tuesday, when a rank‑choice primary advanced four candidates to the November ballot. First‑term Republican Rep. Nicholas Begich III secured the lead with 47.9% of the vote, while independent candidate Bill Hill captured 29.5%, ensuring both will appear on the general‑election ticket.
Incumbent Begich seeks a second term
Begich, who represents Alaska’s at‑large district, has focused his campaign on unlocking the state’s natural resources. He led the effort to overturn a Biden‑era regulation that limited oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. His campaign website lists “unlocking Alaska’s resources,” cutting federal costs, creating jobs, protecting native communities, and securing the border as top priorities. Begich also serves as Executive Vice Chair of the Congressional Western Caucus.
Independent Bill Hill emerges as a strong challenger
Bill Hill, a lifetime commercial fisherman and member of the Dena’ina Athabascan people, has raised more than $1.3 million for his 2026 campaign, largely from individual donors. Hill lives with his wife in the small town of Naknek, which has a population of about 470. His platform blends positions from both sides of the aisle: he supports the Second Amendment, tax cuts, and law‑enforcement funding, while also endorsing a woman’s right to choose and advocating that billionaires pay their fair share.
Other candidates and the primary landscape
The crowded primary also featured two additional Republicans—Ed Goldfarb and Clay Strickland—Democrats Eric Hafner and Yaquelin Reynoso, Libertarian John Foddrill, and several nonpartisan candidates including David Ambrose, Lady Donna Dutchess, David Richey and Melania Salazar. Democrat William Schultz withdrew from the race citing financial concerns, though his name remained on the ballot. At the time the race was called, Schultz was in third place.
Eric Hafner, a perennial candidate described by the Anchorage Daily News as a “federal inmate,” is serving a 20‑year sentence for making false bomb threats and threatening judges and police officers, a conviction dating to 2022. Lady Donna Dutchess has run multiple times for office with limited support.
What the November ballot means for Alaskans
The upcoming general election will pit Begich, who aligns closely with the Republican caucus and emphasizes resource development, against Hill, whose independent run appeals to voters seeking a blend of fiscal conservatism and personal liberty. Both candidates have expressed support for the Second Amendment and law‑enforcement, but differ on social issues such as abortion rights and tax policy for the wealthy.
Alaska’s unique rank‑choice system, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, played a decisive role in narrowing the field. With Begich and Hill advancing, the November contest will likely focus on how each candidate plans to balance Alaska’s economic interests, native community concerns, and the broader national debates over resource extraction and individual freedoms.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
