Republican challenger Nick Begich was leading incumbent Democrat Mary Peltola in the race for Alaska’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives by a margin of 50.1% to 44.8% in unofficial results. About 59% of the vote had been counted at 3:30 a.m. ET Wednesday.
The Alaska race attracted over $40 million in contributions, making it one of the most expensive congressional races in the country’s history.
In 2022, Peltola had defeated both Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin to win a special election for the seat after the death of Rep. Don Young, who held it for 49 years.
Peltola reportedly raised about five times as much money as Begich.
“This one is seen as a gettable win for the Republicans, and that’s not common this cycle,” Sarah Bryner, research director for Open Secrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign spending, told Alaska Public…
