U.S. House, Alaska - At Large
Alaska -- At Large
Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
2008: Rep.
2006: Rep.
Though Young has been a fixture in Alaska politics for many years, his narrow primary win in August gave Democrats evidence his hold on the state had slipped. Young just narrowly bested Republican lieutenant governor Sean Parnell in August as the incumbent faced criticism for his connections to the Veco Corp. oil services company scandal and for a brash disposition opponents argue has diminished his effectiveness. Democratic former state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz brought a statewide profile to the race, owing to his 2006 run for lieutenant governor, and led Young in multiple independent polls.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. Don Young, R
- First Elected: 1973 (17th full term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (56.57%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
Alaska’s remoteness belies its dependence on Washington, D.C. The state’s proximity to Russia and the Far East makes it a military stronghold, and its economic boosters, such as oil and gas, minerals and timber, lie mostly on federally owned land.
While state and local government is Alaska’s largest employer, a never-ending battle for control over the local economy has made voters hostile to Washington. Local lawmakers remain outspoken advocates of opening land to oil and gas exploration and join most Alaskans in support of constructing a natural gas pipeline from Prudhoe Bay through Canada to the lower 48 states.
Most Alaskans view oil and gas exploration as the best way to independence and heavily favor drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Alaska has not had state sales and income taxes since black gold was discovered near Prudhoe Bay in the 1970s. The state continues to build a privatized economy through its thriving tourism industry.
Alaska generally supports Republicans and has not elected a Democrat to Congress since 1974. Voters in some cities, the panhandle and the sparsely populated tundra vote more Democratic. Third parties abound in this cold, conservative frontier state, where most voters register as either independent or nonpartisan, but still mainly vote Republican. Anti-machine GOP candidate Sarah Palin defeated the incumbent governor in the 2006 primary and became the state’s first female governor.
Major Industry
Oil and gas, defense, government, tourism, fishing, timber, mining
Military Bases
Fort Wainwright (Army), 6,500 military, 1,700 civilian (2007); Elmendorf Air Force Base, 6,485 military, 1,077 civilian (2006); Fort Richardson (Army), 5,000 military, 1,200 civilian (2007); Eielson Air Force Base, 2,400 military, 789 civilian (2005); Fort Greely (Army), 200 military, 1,000 civilian (2007); Clear Air Force Station, 90 military, 57 civilian (2007)
Cities
Anchorage, 260,283; Juneau, 30,711; Fairbanks, 30,224
notable
Mt. McKinley is the highest point in North America, at 20,320 feet; Juneau, the state capital, is only accessible by ship or air.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 626,932
- Under 18: 30.4%
- Over 65: 5.7%
- Married: 54.5%
- Non-Hispanic White: 68%
- Black: 3%
- Hispanic: 4%
- Asian: 4%
- Foreign Born: 5.9%
- Language other than English: 14.3%
- Median Household Income: 51,571
- Owner Occupied Housing: 62.5%
- Income above $200k: 1.9
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 60.5%
- Blue Collar: 23.9%
- Services: 15.6%
- Bachelor's Degree: 25%
- Graduate Education: 8.6%
- Civilian Veterans: 71,552
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Don Young (R) | 158,939 | 50.1% |
| Ethan Berkowitz (D) | 142,560 | 45% | ||
| Don Wright (AKI) | 14,274 | 4.5% | ||
| 2006 | general | Don Young (R) | 132,743 | 56.6% |
| Diane Benson (D) | 93,879 | 40% | ||
| Alexander Crawford (LIBERT) | 4,029 | 1.7% | ||
| Eva Ince (GREEN) | 1,819 | 0.8% | ||
| Bill Ratigan (IMP) | 1,615 | 0.7% | ||
| 2004 | general | Don Young (R) | 213,216 | 71.1% |
| Thomas Higgins (D) | 67,074 | 22.4% | ||
| Timothy Feller (GREEN) | 11,434 | 3.8% | ||
| Alvin Anders (LIBERT) | 7,157 | 2.4% | ||
| 2002 | general | Don Young (R) | 169,685 | 74.5% |
| Clifford Greene (D) | 39,357 | 17.3% | ||
| Russell deForest (GREEN) | 14,435 | 6.3% | ||
| Rob Clift (LIBERT) | 3,797 | 1.7% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 36% | George W. Bush: 61% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 28% | George W. Bush: 59% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YOUNG, DONALD E (R) | November 24, 2008 | $1,407,758.00 | $3,190,667.00 | $34,800.00 | $757,444.00 | $75,634.00 | |
| BENSON, DIANE E MS (D) | September 30, 2008 | $246,545.00 | $243,517.00 | $242,230.00 | $9,490.00 | $1,872.00 | |
| BERKOWITZ, ETHAN A (D) | November 24, 2008 | $1,640,454.00 | $1,623,262.00 | $51,500.00 | $1,387,710.00 | $17,194.00 | $19,637.00 |
| METCALFE, JAMES K JAKE (D) | September 30, 2008 | $151,216.00 | $148,888.00 | $140,121.00 | $2,327.00 | $1,181.00 | |
| LEDOUX, GABRIELLE R (R) | September 30, 2008 | $337,682.00 | $544,722.00 | $142,604.00 | |||
| PARNELL, SEAN (R) | September 30, 2008 | $602,766.00 | $569,320.00 | $600.00 | $587,138.00 | $33,446.00 | |
