Alaska held its general election on November 3, 2020, deciding 50 legislative seats. Control shifted: the House moved from organization by a bipartisan coalition to a 21-17 Republican majority.
Highlights
- Republicans won a majority of seats in both chambers, but that did not settle who would run the House. Not until the 24th day of the 2021 session did a bipartisan group of 21 members elect Kodiak Republican Louise Stutes speaker.
- Voters also narrowly rewrote how Alaska elects its officials. Ballot Measure 2 passed by about a point, making Alaska the second state to use ranked-choice voting in statewide elections. Starting in 2022, it replaces party primaries with a single primary that sends the top four finishers to a ranked-choice general, and it adds disclosure rules for outside money in legislative and governor's races.
- The closest legislative race became a court fight. Liz Snyder (D) unseated House Minority Leader Lance Pruitt (R) in House District 27 by just 11 votes. Pruitt sued over the Division of Elections' handling of polling-place changes, and in January the Alaska Supreme Court rejected his challenge.
- Overall, 4 seats changed hands, and the flips did not run one way. Besides Snyder's pickup, independent Calvin Schrage (I) unseated Rep. Mel Gillis (R), appointed to the seat in late 2019, in the Republican-held House District 25 by about 4 points, and independent Josiah Patkotak (I) won the Democratic-held House District 40 over Elizabeth Ferguson (D) by a similar margin. Beyond the flips, 1 race finished inside two points: David Nelson (R) held House District 15 by fewer than 100 votes over Lyn Franks (D). At the other end, 12 seats drew no major-party opposition.
- Voters split the 2 statewide measures (1 passed, 1 failed), rejecting Measure 1, which would have raised production taxes on the North Slope's largest oil fields. The oil industry's opposition campaign had raised about $18.5 million by early October.
Legislature
- House (40 seats): 16 D, 23 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 15 D, 21 R, 4 other or vacant after; control moved from a bipartisan coalition to Republicans.
- Senate (20 seats): 7 D, 13 R before the election, 7 D, 13 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Ballot Measure 1 | Increases taxes on certain oil production in the North Slope | Failed (42.14% yes) |
| Ballot Measure 2 | Changes to Alaska's election policies, including top-four primaries, ranked-choice voting, and campaign finance laws | Passed (50.55% yes) |