Dunleavy takes primary, measures 1 and 2 fall

Mike Dunleavy secured his spot as republican Senate candidate for Alaska’s District D in Tuesday’s primary election. Dunleavy took 58% of the vote, beating incumbent Linda Menard by 637 votes. A total of 3,887  votes were cast in the election for the republican candidate. There was no democratic, independent or libertarian challengers in that contest, and Dunleavy will run unopposed in November’s general election.

Dunleavy bills himself as a “true conservative” and during the campaign had criticized Linda Menard’s moderate stances on social issues and membership in the Bi-Partisan Majority Working Group, who he blamed for failing to pass Oil legislation sought by Governor Parnell.

In the House race, incumbent Wes Keller outlasted challenger Roger Purcell for the republican spot in House District 7 with 68% of the vote. A total of 1162 votes were cast in that election. Keller will also run unopposed in November’s General election.

Voters turned down the Measure 2 initiative to revive the Coastal Management Plan, voting 61% against the Measure that sought to restore the 35-year-old plan which legislators allowed to lapse earlier this year.

Measure number 1, a local-choice tax exemption measure also failed, but by a narrow margin of 50.5% of voters opposed.

Sharon Cissna rose above a field of five challengers for the Democratic spot in the race for U.S. Senate, and will face Representative Don Young in November. Young won his race against two challengers with 78% of the vote