Cordovans came out to vote in highly competitive races this week, casting their ballots for not only the White House but also congressional representation.
The race for the presidency – which resulted in the stunning re-election of former Republican President Donald Trump on Nov. 5 – had been too close to predict up until the polls closed as both the former president and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris finished campaigning in battleground states. Trump is projected to secure Alaska’s three electoral college votes, and is poised to become the first convicted felon to win the presidency in U.S. history.
Trump-backed Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich was ahead of Democratic incumbent Mary Peltola for Alaska’s lone congressional seat the morning after election day, but because of ranked choice voting those results weren’t finalized by press time. Peltola, the first Alaska Native person elected to Congress, won her seat in a 2022 special election after longtime Republican Congress Member Don Young died in office at 88 years old. Later that same year Peltola beat Begich as well as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for her first full term in office.
Nationally this cycle, Republican voters reverted back to 2016 levels – when Trump won the first time. In 2020 Democrats gained ground to put now-President Joe Biden in the White House, but that momentum from the left seemed to come to an end, even if temporarily, on Nov. 5.
And even though Alaska generally leans right, Republicans have a weaker foothold in Cordova than in some other places across the state. However, the party has shifted even in town over the course of the last few elections.
In 2016, there were 395 registered Republicans in Cordova compared to 323 Democrats, according to state election data. The margin in Cordova shrank in 2020 when Biden won – with 375 Republicans to 335 Democrats – but rose even higher than in 2016 this year, with 382 registered Republicans to 289 Democrats.
In neighboring Valdez and Whittier, 2016, 2020 and 2024 numbers show Republicans further outweighing Democrats. In Tatitlek there were more registered Democrats than Republicans in both 2016 and 2020, but this year there were two more Republicans than Democrats registered.
Even with the shift toward the right, however, Alaska Republicans still seemed to have lost two seats in the state House. Election results in Alaska and nationwide will become official in the next few weeks.
