Politics

Watch: Candidate forum with the 3 U.S. House hopefuls in Alaska’s special election

The final three candidates vying for Alaska’s sole U.S. House seat in a special election transitioned into a new phase of the campaign this week, pitching themselves at a forum held Monday by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.

Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich and Democrat Mary Peltola emerged as the top vote-getters from a special primary with a whopping 48 candidates, the first held under Alaska’s new election laws that did away with partisan primaries. Al Gross, an orthopedic surgeon who ran as an independent, was in third place after the June primary but dropped out with no notice and little explanation, and Alaska’s top court ruled that the fifth-place primary finisher could not replace him.

Palin, Begich and Peltola will now appear on the Aug. 16 ballot for the special general election, which will determine who serves out the remainder of the late Rep. Don Young’s term.

Watch the full forum in the video below.

ADVERTISEMENT