Alaskan political scion hopes to hold onto state's single House seat

A heated battle for Alaska's only U.S.

House seat will see a handful of candidates face-off in November after four candidates advanced in Tuesday's rank-choice primary.

First-term incumbent Rep.

Nicholas Begich III, R-Alaska, is hoping to hang onto his seat, and will have a chance to do so in November.

But he is facing an insurgency from independent candidate Bill Hill.

AP called the race for Begich and Hill early on, and Begich led by a 47.9% to 29.5% margin.

Both will advance to the general election.

The crowded race in the open primary also featured two other Republicans, Ed Goldfarb and Clay Strickland, Democrats Eric Hafner and Yaquelin Reynoso, Libertarian John Foddrill, along with nonpartisan candidates David Ambrose, Lady Donna Dutchess, David Richey and Melania Salazar.

William Schultz, a Democrat, dropped out of the race citing financial concerns, but remained on the ballot.

WASHINGTON REWARDS FAILURE.

IT’S TIME TO SEND CAREER POLITICIANS HOME Despite dropping out, Schultz was in third place at the time the race was called, followed by Hafner, who himself faces unique circumstances.

Hafner is described by the Anchorage Daily News as a "federal inmate and perennial candidate," and a review of Ballotpedia shows Dutchess has run several times for office with little support.

Hafner is serving a 20-year sentence for making false bomb threats and threatening judges and police officers.

He was convicted in 2022.