Alaska held its general election on November 8, 2016, deciding 50 legislative seats. Control shifted: the House moved from a 23-16 Republican majority to organization by a bipartisan coalition.
Highlights
- Republicans lost two House seats and then the chamber, as three of their members joined every Democrat and both independents in a new majority coalition. The Senate stayed Republican; none of its seats on the ballot changed parties.
- The coalition named Bryce Edgmon (D) of Dillingham as the House's first Democratic speaker in 24 years, and the first with Alaska Native ancestry. Edgmon said the state’s fiscal crisis brought the caucus together; low oil prices had left a multibillion-dollar deficit. The three Republicans who joined the coalition all took leadership posts: Paul Seaton (R) as a Finance co-chair, Louise Stutes (R) as majority whip, and Gabrielle LeDoux (R) as Rules chair.
- Republicans lost both seats to challengers who then joined the coalition:
- Jason Grenn (NP), who had quit the Republican Party to run as an independent, beat Rep. Liz Vazquez (R) by about 190 votes in House District 22.
- Justin Parish (D), a para-educator, narrowly unseated four-term Rep. Cathy Muñoz (R) by about 195 votes in Juneau's House District 34.
- Beyond the flips, 2 Republican incumbents held on narrowly: Charisse Millett (R) beat Patti Higgins (D) by about 90 votes in House District 25, and Lance Pruitt (R) beat Harry Crawford (D) by about 160 in House District 27.
- Voters split the 2 ballot measures. Measure 1, which lets Alaskans register to vote through their Permanent Fund Dividend application, passed with about 65%; Measure 2, which would have allowed state debt for postsecondary student loans, failed with about 44%.
Legislature
- House (40 seats): 16 D, 23 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 17 D, 21 R, 2 other or vacant after; control moved from Republicans to a bipartisan coalition.
- Senate (20 seats): 6 D, 14 R before the election, 6 D, 14 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Measure 1 | Ability to register to vote when applying for permanent fund dividend | Passed (64.57% yes) |
| Measure 2 | Allows state debt to be contracted for postsecondary student loans | Failed (44.19% yes) |