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 Results by state house district Young: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Berkowitz: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Alaska |
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The2008 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska was held on November 4, 2008, to determine who would represent the state ofAlaska in theUnited States House of Representatives. Alaska has one seat in the House, apportioned according to the2000 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; whoever was elected would serve in the111th Congress from January 4, 2009, until January 3, 2011. The election coincided with thenationwide presidential election. The primary election was held August 26, 2008.[1]
Alaska's at-large congressional district covers the entire state and had been represented by RepublicanDon Young since 1973. He was challenged by Democratic nomineeEthan Berkowitz and Alaskan Independence candidateDon Wright.
Berkowitz won the Democratic primary againstDiane E. Benson and Jake Metcalfe. The Republican primary was so close that Young andSean Parnell needed to wait for the overseas absentee ballots, which had until September 10, 2008, to arrive and be counted. Young held a narrow lead of 239 votes after counting the other absentee and questioned ballots on September 6, 2008.[2] Final results on September 18 showed Young winning by 304 votes, and Parnell announced that he would not seek a recount.[3]
According to the 9/15-17Research 2000 poll forDaily Kos, Berkowitz led Young in the general election by a 53%–39% margin, with a ±4% margin of error.[4] After the primary, CQ Politics changed its forecast to 'Leans Democratic'.[5]The Cook Political Report ranked it 'Republican Toss Up' andThe Rothenberg Political Report rated it 'Democrat Favored'.
On November 12, 2008, Young was declared the winner, retaining the seat for his 19th term, despite a strong challenge from Berkowitz. Young was proclaimed winner, getting 50% of the vote compared to Berkowitz's 45%.[6][7]
The "ADL" ballot contained all of the primary candidates for theAlaska Democratic Party, theAlaskan Independence Party, andLibertarian Party of Alaska.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ethan Berkowitz | 39,784 | 53.17 | |
| Democratic | Diane Benson | 28,347 | 37.89 | |
| Independence | Don Wright | 6,690 | 8.94 | |
| Total votes | 74,821 | 100.00 | ||
| 2008 Alaska Republican House of Representatives primary[9] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
| Don Young (incumbent) | 48,195 | 45.47% |
| Sean Parnell | 47,891 | 45.19% |
| Gabrielle LeDoux | 9,901 | 9.34% |
| Totals | 105,987 | 100.00% |
| Source | Date | Ethan Berkowitz (D) | Don Young (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research 2000[10] | May 12–14, 2008 | 50% | 40% |
| Research 2000[11] | December 3–6, 2007 | 49% | 42% |
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[12] | Tossup | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[13] | Likely D(flip) | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[14] | Lean D(flip) | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[15] | Lean D(flip) | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[16] | Lean D(flip) | November 6, 2008 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Don Young (incumbent) | 158,939 | 50.14 | |
| Democratic | Ethan Berkowitz | 142,560 | 44.97 | |
| Independence | Don Wright | 14,274 | 4.50 | |
| Write-in | 1,205 | 0.38 | ||
| Valid ballots | 316,978 | 96.83 | ||
| Invalid or blank votes | 10,363 | 3.17 | ||
| Total votes | 327,341 | 100.00 | ||
| Turnout | 66.03 | |||
| Republicanhold | ||||
Specific
General
| Preceded by 2006 elections | United States House election in Alaska 2008 | Succeeded by 2010 elections |
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