JUNEAU (AP) — A Democratic state legislator has announced her bid for Alaska’s U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Lisa Murkowski.
State Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, a former Anchorage assembly member in her first term in the state Legislature, filed candidacy papers with the Alaska Division of Elections in Juneau on Feb. 10. Gray-Jackson is the first Democrat to join a field of contenders that also includes Republican Kelly Tshibaka, who is supported by former President Donald Trump. Murkowski is seeking reelection. She has held the office since late 2002.
Gray-Jackson became emotional speaking with reporters about her decision to run. She says public service is her passion.
An election system, adopted by Alaska voters in 2020, will be used for the first time in this year’s elections. It ends party primaries — meaning all candidates will appear on the same August primary election ballot, with the top four vote-getters in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, advancing to the general election, in which ranked-choice voting will be used to winnow down the finalists until one emerges with more than 50% of the votes.
So far, a dozen Alaskans have filed as U.S. Senate candidates with the Division of Elections, including Murkowski. Of the dozen, three are Republican and eight others are listed as undeclared, nonpartisan, Libertarian or members of the Alaskan Independence Party.
Tshibaka, who announced her bid last March, has not yet filed with the state elections office, though she has been raising money. Candidates have until June 1 to file with the division for the August primary.
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