Early election results strongly GOP for Wrangell

Local voters took to the polls Tuesday, putting an end to what was for many an overlong campaign season.

Nationally, indications showed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to be ahead of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, though by press time Tuesday final tallies were being calculated in half a dozen states.

In Alaska, preliminary results from around the state were only just coming in from different precincts as of Tuesday night. In unofficial tallies for Wrangell voters, some 45 percent of registered voters turned out on Election Day, with 764 ballots cast of 1,685 registered. The actual turnout will be higher, as the count does not consider early and absentee ballots, or question ballots.

In the presidential race, local voters overwhelmingly backed Trump and running mate Mike Pence, with 512 votes to Clinton and Tim Kaine’s 177. Of third party candidates, Libertarian Gary Johnson led with 35 votes.

For the U.S. Senate race, a wide margin of local voters supported incumbent Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, with 457 votes. Libertarian Joe Miller brought in 184 votes while Democrat Ray Metcalfe and unaffiliated candidate Margaret Stock each earned 52 votes.

The Wrangell electorate likewise favored incumbent Rep. Don Young for reelection, with 491 votes cast. Democrat Steve Lindbeck pulled 170 votes, with Libertarian Jim McDermott gaining 68.

More regionally, District R candidate for Alaska Senate Sen. Bert Stedman earned 641 votes. Twenty-seven went to an as-yet unspecified write-in candidate, possibly Petersburg challenger Michael Sheldon.

In perhaps the closest race for local voters, incumbent state Rep. Dan Ortiz only received 295 votes compared to Republican candidate Bob Sivertsen. For District 36 Constitution Party candidate Kenneth Shaw received 26 votes. But district-wide, with 60-percent of precincts reporting in by press time, Ortiz was ahead of Sivertsen by a nine-point spread.

Voters also approved Ballot Measure 1 by 502 votes to 243, supporting automatic registration to vote when applying for the Permanent Fund Dividend. Voters narrowly rejected Ballot Measure 2 by 384 votes to 335, which would have expanded the state’s authority to incur debt by issuing bonds for postsecondary student loans.