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The unlikeliest Democratic star of 2022, Rep. Mary Peltola, has won the race for Alaska’s U.S. House seat in the Nov. 8 election. Just as she did in an August special election, Peltola thrived in Alaska’s system of ranked choice voting and defeated two Republican rivals: former Gov. Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III. A moderate Democrat who supports both abortion rights and gun rights, Peltola was able to cobble together a winning coalition after Palin and Begich spent much of the campaign attacking each other. It also helped that Palin, an old friend of Peltola’s, frequently praised her during debates and other public appearances. Peltola, the first Alaska Native ever elected to Congress, will now officially keep the seat in Democratic hands for two years after the late Rep. Don Young (R) held it for six decades.
