Special election set for June to fill seat of late Congressman Don Young

A special election to fill the seat of Republican Congressman Don Young of Alaska, who died earlier this month, is set for this summer, with a primary slated for June 11 and a special general election on August 16, the same date as Alaska's regularly scheduled primaries.

The winner of the special election will finish the remainder of Young's term, which ends in January 2023.

Young, the dean of the U.S. House, died last Friday while traveling home to Alaska. He had served in the House for nearly half a century and was planning to run for reelection this November. 

August 16 marks Alaska's first test of its new open primary system, which was approved by voters in 2020. This means all candidates regardless of party affiliation, will appear on the ballot. 

General elections will now use a ranked-choice voting system, whereby the top four vote-getters from the primary will appear on the ballot and voters rank their candidates by order of preference.

"We were not prepared to do this until November," Alaska Director of Elections Gail Fenumiai said Thursday about the special general election and ranked-choice voting, but added the state would also be ramping up voter education in the next couple of months. 

Officials also noted that a shortage of paper — and of election workers — , as well asnew state legislative maps from redistricting pose a series of challenges for elections in the state. Fenumiai said the addition of the special elections will tack on another $2.5 million. 

"We have a lot of challenges this year, probably the toughest year that I know of anyway, to have elections. But Gail and her crew are prepared," said Alaska Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer. 

Several candidates who had already said they were running  in Alaska's At-Large congressional race against Young, such as Democratic Anchorage Assemblyman Chris Constant and Republican challenger Nick Begich III, have signaled they'll continue their campaigns, according to the Anchorage Daily News. 

Candidates for the special election have until April 1 to file. Dunleavy said Monday he would not run for the seat. 

Al Gross, an independent candidate for Alaska's U.S. Senate seat in 2020, has also been floated as a potential candidate. Former Republican Alaska Governor and Vice President nominee Sarah Palin told Newsmax on Monday that she would consider running to replace Young.

"If I were asked to serve in the House and take his place, I would be humbled and honored…In a heartbeat, I would. We will see how this process goes in filling that seat — it would be an honor," she told Newsmax.

The special primary on June 11 and special general on August will be a primarily mail ballot election. Voters registered by May 13 will automatically receive a ballot, but will still have to fulfill witness signature requirements on their ballot. There will also be in-person voting available at election offices. 

Alaska Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy and Fenumiai sought to reassure voters about the security of mail voting, despite the efforts of Republican legislators to constrain mail voting during a press conference Tuesday.

"Of course election security is at the forefront of our minds," said Fenumiai. 

"You're going to hear a lot of things throughout the next several months regarding elections, campaigns, etc. I would strongly urge the people of Alaska that despite all that stuff, there's no substitute for you going to the polls, for you voting. You may not like what's happening… I understand that. But you really want to go and vote," Dunleavy added.

Young will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol next week.