Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, waves signs on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 in Midtown Anchorage. (Photo by Loren Holmes/Alaska Beacon)
This article is developing and will be updated.
Republican incumbent Rep. Nick Begich III took a significant lead in early vote-counting for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat, but stood just barely short of the threshold needed to avoid a ranked choice runoff.
With 279 of 401 precincts reporting results Tuesday night, Begich had 49.98% of Alaskans’ first-choice votes, while independent challenger Bill Hill had 40.1%.
Federally imprisoned Democratic candidate Eric Hafner had 7.2% of the vote, and Libertarian Jim McDermott had 2.7%.
With Hafner acting as a potential spoiler, Hill had trailed in pre-Election Day polling despite having the endorsement and backing of the Alaska Democratic Party. 
On Election Day, national results favored Democratic candidates across the country, and Hill appeared to benefit from the “blue tsunami” washing over the United States.
But as more votes were counted in Alaska, Begich reversed an initial Hill lead and now has a large advantage.
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Courtesy of Alaska Beacon
