One-term Alaska congressman heads to general against 3 challengers

A heated battle for Alaska’s only U.S. House seat will see a handful of candidates face-off in November after four candidates advanced in Tuesday’s rank-choice primary.

First-term incumbent Rep. Nicholas Begich III, R-Alaska, is hoping to hang onto his seat, and will have a chance to do so in November. But he is facing an insurgency from independent candidate Bill Hill.

AP called the race for Begich and Hill early on, and Begich led by a 47.9% to 29.5% margin. Both will advance to the general election. 

The crowded race in the open primary also featured two other Republicans, Ed Goldfarb and Clay Strickland, Democrats Eric Hafner and Yaquelin Reynoso, Libertarian John Foddrill, along with nonpartisan candidates David Ambrose, Lady Donna Dutchess, David Richey and Melania Salazar. William Schultz, a Democrat, dropped out of the race citing financial concerns, but remained on the ballot. 

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Despite dropping out, Schultz was in third place at the time the race was called, followed by Hafner, who himself faces unique circumstances. 

Hafner is described by the Anchorage Daily News as a “federal inmate and perennial candidate,” and a review of Ballotpedia shows Dutchess has run several times for office with little support. Hafner is serving a 20-year sentence for making false bomb threats and threatening judges and police officers. He was convicted in 2022.

Hill is a standout when it comes to running an independent campaign. He has raised more than $1.3 million in 2026, nearly all of it from individual donors.

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A lifetime commercial fisherman and member of the Dena’ina Athabascan native Alaskan people, Hill has lived in Anchorage and Fairbanks in the past. He currently lives with his wife in the southwestern Alaskan town Naknek, which has a population of 470 people.

His platform incorporates popular positions from both sides of the political aisle. While he supports the Second Amendment, tax cuts and police and first responders, he also supports a “woman’s right to choose” and making billionaires pay their “fair share,” according to his campaign website.

Meanwhile, Begich led the charge to overturn a Biden-era rule restricting oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. “Unlocking Alaska’s resources” is listed as a major priority on Begich’s campaign site, along with cutting costs, creating jobs, protecting Alaska’s native communities and securing the border.

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He serves as the Executive Vice Chair of the Congressional Western Caucus.