Alaska gubernatorial election, 2006

Alaska gubernatorial election, 2006
Alaska
November 7, 2006
 
Nominee Sarah Palin Tony Knowles Andrew Halcro
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Running mate Sean Parnell Ethan Berkowitz Fay Von Gemmingen
Popular vote 114,697 97,238 22,443
Percentage 48.33% 40.97% 9.46%

Election results by boroughs
Governor before election

Frank Murkowski
Republican

 Elected Governor

Sarah Palin
Republican

Elections in Alaska

The 2006 Alaska gubernatorial general election took place on November 7, 2006. The former mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin, was elected governor.

Republican primary

Incumbent Frank Murkowski (R), first elected governor in 2002, ran for reelection but was defeated in a landslide in the Republican primary by former Wasilla mayor Sarah Palin on August 22, 2006. Murkowski's approval rating at the time of the election was 19%. Murkowski also faced opposition from former state lawmaker and Fairbanks businessman John Binkley.

2006 Republican primary for Alaska governor[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Sarah Palin 51,443 50.59
Republican John Binkley 30,349 29.84
Republican Frank Murkowski (inc.) 19,412 19.09
Republican Gerald Heikes 280 0.28
Republican Merica Hlatcu 211 0.21
Total votes 101,695 100.00

Democratic primary

Former two-term Governor Tony Knowles and state lawmaker Eric Croft competed for the Democratic ticket for governor. Knowles had a substantial lead over Croft, both at the polls and with fund raising.

2006 Democratic primary for Alaska governor[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tony Knowles 37,316 74.63
Democratic Eric Croft 11,952 23.90
Democratic Bruce Lemke 732 1.46
Total votes 50,000 100.00

Alaskan Independence Party

Green Party

Libertarian Party

Independent

General election

Campaign

Republican candidate Sarah Palin, Democratic candidate Tony Knowles, and independent candidate Andrew Halcro faced each other in the general election. Anchorage businessman Andrew Halcro ran as an Independent in the race for governor. Halcro has served in the Alaska State legislature in the past, and is known as a fiscal hawk. Halcro collected about 4,000 signatures to be placed on the general election ballot without party affiliation. Despite Knowles' experience, Palin's charisma and conservatism was able to win her first statewide election.

Polling

Source Date Palin (R) Knowles (D)
Rasmussen November 3, 2006 45% 44%
Rasmussen October 9, 2006 47% 40%
Field Research Corporation October 5, 2006 49% 37%
Rasmussen September 8, 2006 52% 38%
Rasmussen August 3, 2006 51% 38%
Ivan Moore Research June 7, 2006 39% 43%

Results

2006 Gubernatorial Election, Alaska
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Sarah Palin / Sean Parnell 114,697 48.33 -7.6
Democratic Tony Knowles / Ethan Berkowitz 97,238 40.97 +0.3
Independent Andrew Halcro / Fay Von Gemmingen 22,443 9.46 n/a
Alaskan Independence Don Wright / Douglas L. Welton 1,285 0.54 -0.4
Libertarian Billy Toien / Robert D. Mirabal 682 0.29 -0.2
Green David Massie 593 0.25 -1.0
Write-in candidate Write-in votes 384 0.16 +0.1
Plurality 17,459 7.36
Turnout 238,307 51.1
Republican hold Swing -7.6

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.elections.alaska.gov/06prim/data/results.htm[]
  2. ↑ http://www.elections.alaska.gov/06prim/index.shtml[]

External links

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