1990 gubernatorial election

1990 was a historic year for many reasons, but one was the results out of Alaska. That November, the Last Frontier saw the Alaskan Independence Party (which, no surprise, advocates for a referendum allowing Alaska to become an independent country) win the governorship in a crowded 3-way race, marking one of the relatively few times a third party (and the only time an overtly secessionist party) has won a governorship in recent years. As such, one has to ask, how did this happen?

The seeds of the Alaskan Independence Party's victory were planted when moderate state senator Arliss Sturgulewski won the Republican nomination for governor. To the ire of conservatives, including her own running mate Jack Coghill, Sturgulewski refused to abandon her pro-abortion, environmentalist views. While Sturgulewski received the endorsement of then-president George H.W. Bush (R) and the state's congressional delegation, it was not enough to prevent conservatives from looking for a new party and candidate. The Alaskan Independence Party, with an ideological "mix of Alaskan nationalism and libertarian conservatism," was the ideal vehicle for Alaskan conservatives dissatisfied with the GOP nominee; they just needed a driver. That driver was found in former Governor Wiley Hickel (R), elected in 1966 prior to becoming Secretary of the Interior under Richard Nixon, who had sought his former position several times previously. Hickel's late entry under the AIP was facilitated, in part, by Sturgulewski's own running mate Jack Coghill, who defected to Hickel's ticket and convinced the chairman of the AIP to (undemocratically) replace the names of the AIP primary winners with Hickel and Coghill at the last minute. Thus, as September turned to October, a three-way race was set between Sturgulewski (and her new running mate Jim Campbell), Hickel, and former Anchorage mayor Tony Knowles (D).

Going into the election, Hickel had the strong support of conservatives and, in the words of former Democratic Gov. Bill Sheffield, "the Moral Majority and pro-life people who had nowhere to go," while moderates and liberals were split between Sturgulewski and Knowles. While Hickel "rejected any talk of secession," he did make greater Alaskan autonomy from the federal government a major plank of his platform, as well as being pro-development and anti-abortion. Ultimately, Hickel's consolidation of conservatives and the split among moderates allowed the Alaskan Independence Party to secure its first (and as of 2025 only) statewide victory, with Hickel defeating Knowles by 7% (although Hickel only received 38% of the vote). Hickel rejoined the Republican Party in 1994, and, despite initial signs to the contrary, opted not to run for re-election in 1994. His lieutenant governor, Jack Coghill, ran under the AIP line in '94 but placed a distant third behind runner-up Jim Campbell (R) and victor Tony Knowles (D).  

2000 Presidential election

Alaska was Nader's best state in 2000, as he won over 10% of the vote. As of 2025, this is the last time a presidential candidate won the state by >30%, as well as the only time the Hoonah–Angoon Census Area has voted for a Republican. George W. Bush's margin of 88,394 votes is the largest raw vote margin for a presidential election in the state's history. However, Lyndon B. Johnson's margin in 1964 and Ronald Reagan's in 1984 were larger in terms of percentage, as they won by 31.82% and 36.78%, respectively.

Further Analysis Coming Soon!

2008 US senate election

Further Analysis Coming Soon!

2024 Presidential election in Anchorage