Topline
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the frontrunner in the primary election for the state’s sole House seat, a new poll found just days after she announced her candidacy—even though Alaska voters are split on whether they even have a positive view of her.
Sarah Palin leaves a courthouse in New York on Feb. 10.
Key Facts
The poll found 31% of Alaska voters would vote for Palin—the highest share of any candidate polled.
Independent candidate Al Gross, who’s been backed by Democrats, was in second place with 26%, and Republican Nick Begich was in third place with 21% (Alaska’s primary is nonpartisan).
Only 37% of voters had a favorable view of Palin, while 51% view her negatively.
Gross similarly had a 32% favorable rating and 51% unfavorable, while 28% had a favorable view of Begich and 30% unfavorable.
The poll was conducted by Remington Research Strategies for Must Read Alaska from April 7-9 among 955 likely primary voters.
What To Watch For
The special primary election to fill Alaska’s House seat will take place on June 11, and 48 candidates have filed to run. The top four candidates—regardless of party—will then proceed to the general election on August 16. The election is being held outside of the state’s normal primary and general election schedules because it’s filling the seat unexpectedly vacated by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who died suddenly in March.
Surprising Fact
Among the other candidates running in the Alaska race is a self-described Democratic socialist named Santa Claus, who currently serves as the mayor pro tempore in North Pole, Alaska. (Claus did not receive enough voter support to be listed in the Must Read Alaska poll, though 4% of respondents said they would vote for “another candidate not listed.”)
Key Background
Palin announced April 1 she was entering Alaska’s congressional race, hours before the state’s filing deadline, marking her first political race since she ran for vice president in 2008. She served as Alaska’s governor from December 2006 through July 2009, but has not held a major political office since. Former President Donald Trump has already endorsed Palin, and the ex-governor’s high name recognition is expected to boost her standing in the crowded primary race. Palin “could go to sleep on the couch and wake up on June 11 and she’d be in the final four,” pollster Ivan Moore told the Anchorage Daily News. The Must Read Alaska poll is the first major poll conducted since Palin entered the race; while a previous poll conducted in March by Change Research found Gross narrowly leading Palin, the Daily News notes it was conducted by a group that donated heavily to Gross’ 2020 Senate campaign, and it took place before Palin officially announced her candidacy.
Further Reading
Sarah Palin Announces She’s Running for Congress in Alaska (New York Times)
Donald Trump endorses Sarah Palin for Alaska’s lone congressional seat (Washington Post)
Alaska’s U.S. House race includes 48 candidates and a lot of uncertainty (Anchorage Daily News)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/04/11/sarah-palin-leads-alaska-congressional-primary-poll-finds-even-though-51-of-voters-dont-like-her/