The 2022 Alaska's at-large congressional district special election was held on August 16 to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Republican incumbent Don Young. Mary Peltola was elected in a 3-way race against former governor Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III in the election, becoming the first Alaska Native and woman to represent Alaska in the House.

The election was the first to use Alaska's new ranked-choice voting (RCV) method, approved by voters in 2020. The winners of the top-four blanket primary advanced to the ranked-choice runoff election, but only three candidates competed (as Al Gross withdrew and endorsed Peltola). Peltola was declared the winner on August 31 after all ballots were counted. Peltola's victory was widely seen as an upset in a traditionally Republican state. She became the first Democrat to win a statewide election in Alaska since 2008 and was sworn in on September 13.

Nonpartisan blanket primary

Candidates Advanced to general election Nick Begich III (Republican), Alaska Policy Forum board member, grandson of former U.S. Representative Nick Begich Sr., nephew of former U.S. Senator Mark Begich and Alaska Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich Sarah Palin (Republican), former governor of Alaska (2006–2009) and nominee for vice president of the United States in 2008 Mary Peltola (Democratic), former state representative (1999–2009) and executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

Withdrew after advancing to general election Al Gross (independent), orthopedic surgeon, commercial fisherman, son of former Alaska Attorney General Avrum Gross. He was endorsed by the Democratic Party as nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020 (After placing third, he withdrew and endorsed Peltola)

Eliminated in primary Dennis Aguayo (independent) Jay R. Armstrong (Republican), gold miner Brian Beal (independent) Tim Beck (independent), former Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly member (1998–2004, 2005–2011), candidate for FNSB mayor (2000) and Alaska Senate (2006) Gregg Brelsford (independent), lawyer and former manager of Bristol Bay Borough (2018–2020) Robert Brown (independent), veteran Chris Bye (Libertarian), fishing guide John Callahan (Republican), public affairs officer for the Alaska Air National Guard Arlene Carl (independent), retiree Santa Claus (independent), North Pole city councillor (2015–2018, since 2019) and mayor pro tem (endorsed Peltola) John Coghill (Republican), former majority leader of the Alaskan State Senate (2013–2017), former state senator (2009–2021), former majority leader of the Alaskan House of Representatives (2002–2006), former state representative (1999–2009), son of former lieutenant governor Jack Coghill, and U.S. Air Force veteran Christopher Constant (Democratic), Anchorage Assembly member since 2017 Lady Donna Dutchess (independent), judicial reform activist Otto Florschutz (Republican), former Wrangell Port Commissioner Laurel Foster (independent), paralegal Tom Gibbons (Republican), business manager Karyn Griffin (independent), political organizer and activist Andrew Halcro (independent), former Republican state representative (1998–2003) and Independent candidate for governor of Alaska in 2006 Ted Heintz (independent), Corporate Contract Services Professional William Hibler III (independent), former glaciologist with the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Democratic candidate for Alaska's at-large congressional district in 2016 and 2020 John Howe (Alaskan Independence Party), machinist and Alaskan Independence Party nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020 David Hughes (independent), program manager Don Knight (independent) Jeff Lowenfels (independent), attorney and gardening writer Robert "Bob" Lyons (Republican), case manager Anne McCabe (independent), former president of the Kenai Peninsula Educational Support Association Mikel Melander, blue collar worker Sherry Mettler (independent), businesswoman Mike Milligan (Democratic), former Kodiak Island Borough Assembly member, Green Party nominee for U.S. House (1992) and lieutenant governor (1998) J. R. Myers (Libertarian), behavioral health clinician, founder of the Alaska Constitution Party and its nominee for governor in 2014 Emil Notti (Democratic), engineer, former commissioner of the Alaska Department of Commerce, former chair of the Alaska Democratic Party, and nominee for Alaska's at-large congressional district in 1973 Robert Ornelas (American Independent Party), perennial candidate Silvio Pellegrini (independent), cyber security manager, IT project manager, and intelligence analyst for the US Air Force Reserve Josh Revak (Republican), state senator for District M (2019–present) and U.S. Army veteran Maxwell Sumner (Republican), homebuilder Tara Sweeney (Republican), former assistant secretary of the Interior for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (2018–2021) (ran as write-in candidate in general election) David Thistle (independent) Ernest Thomas (Democratic) Clayton Trotter (Republican), college professor Bradley Welter (Republican) Jason Williams (independent) Joe Woodward (Republican) Adam Wool (Democratic), state representative (2015–present) Stephen Wright (Republican), candidate for Alaska's at-large congressional district in 2016, candidate for Alaska State Senate in 2020, and U.S. Air Force veteran

Withdrawn Breck Craig (independent), candidate for U.S. Senate in 2016 Richard Morris (independent) Jesse Sumner (Republican), member of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly; later filed for and was elected to a seat in the Alaska House of Representatives

Declined Les Gara (Democratic), former state representative (2003–2019) (running for governor) Mead Treadwell (Republican), former lieutenant governor of Alaska (endorsed Sweeney)

Endorsements

Debates and forums + 2022 Alaska at-large special primary debates and forums Date Host Moderator Link Participants Participant   Absent   Non-invitee   Invitee Withdrawn Begich Coghill Constant Gross Lowenfels Palin Revak Peltola Sweeney 1 May 12, 2022 Alaska ChamberAlaska Miners AssociationAlaska Oil and Gas AssociationAlaska Support Industry AllianceAssociated General Contractors of AlaskaResource Development Council N/AYouTube

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error NickBegich(R) SantaClaus(I) JohnCoghill(R) ChristopherConstant(D) AlGross(I) AndrewHalcro(I) JeffLowenfels(I) SarahPalin(R) MaryPeltola(D) JoshRevak(R) TaraSweeney(R) AdamWool(D) Other UndecidedAlaska Survey ResearchMay 6–9, 2022605 (LV)± 4.0%16%6%2%5%13%2%3%19%5%4%4%2%4%16%Remington Research Group (R)April 7–9, 2022955 (LV)± 3.1%21%––7%26%––31%–3%2%–4%6%

Results

General election Under Alaska's top-four primary system, if a general election candidate drops out, the director of elections may replace them with the name of the fifth-place finisher. Shortly after the primary, Al Gross dropped out of the general election, but Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai did not advance Tara Sweeney in his place because there were less than 64 days remaining until the general election as required by law. After a lawsuit, the Alaska Supreme Court upheld Fenumiai's decision.

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report August 10, 2022 Inside Elections August 4, 2022 Sabato's Crystal Ball June 22, 2022

Post-primary endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error RCVcount NickBegich(R) AlGross(I) SarahPalin(R) MaryPeltola(D) UndecidedAlaska Survey ResearchJuly 20–25, 20221,219 (LV)± 2.9%130%–29%41%–255%–45%2*–49%51%Alaska Survey ResearchJuly 2–5, 20221,201 (LV)± 2.9%131%–29%40%–257%–43%2*–49%51% June 21, 2022 Gross withdraws from the raceAlaska Survey ResearchMay 6–9, 2022605 (LV)± 4.0%129%27%26%19%–233%40%28%–354%46%–

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error RCVcount NickBegich(R) SantaClaus(I) ChristopherConstant(D) AlGross(I) SarahPalin(R) TaraSweeney(R) UndecidedAlaska Survey ResearchMay 6–9, 2022605 (LV)± 4.0%128%21%–26%25%––232%–40%28%353%47%–3*–53%–47%Alaska Survey ResearchMay 6–9, 2022605 (LV)± 4.0%129%–17%27%28%––232%–40%28%354%46%–Alaska Survey ResearchMay 6–9, 2022605 (LV)± 4.0%128%–35%26%11%–232%39%29%–355%45%– Al Gross vs. Sarah Palin vs. Lora Reinbold vs. Josh Revak Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error RCVcount AlGross(I) SarahPalin(R) LoraReinbold(R) JoshRevak(R) UndecidedChange Research (D)Change Research (D) March 25–29, 2022728 (LV)± 3.6%33%30%8%9%16%233%30%–11%26%335%35%––30% Al Gross vs. Sarah Palin Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error AlGross (I) SarahPalin (R) UndecidedChange Research (D)March 25–29, 2022728 (LV)± 3.6%40%42%19% Al Gross vs. Josh Revak Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error AlGross (I) JoshRevak (R) UndecidedChange Research (D)March 25–29, 2022728 (LV)± 3.6%35%34%31%

Results

2022 Alaska's at-large congressional district special election Party Candidate First choice Round 1 Round 2 Votes % Transfer Votes % Transfer Votes %Democratic 74,817 39.66% +982 75,799 40.19% +15,46791,26651.48% Republican 58,339 30.92% +634 58,973 31.27% +27,053 86,026 48.52% Republican 52,536 27.84% +1,274 53,810 28.53% -53,810 Eliminated Write-in 2,974 1.58% -2,974 Eliminated Total votes188,666 188,582177,292 Blank or inactive ballots 3,707 +11,290 14,997 Democratic gain from Republican