Nick Begich III led the 2026 U.S. House Alaska at-large district general election Tuesday night with about 70% of precincts reporting, putting him ahead with nearly 50% of the vote. If he stays above 50% of first-choice votes as more ballots come in over the next few days, he wins outright; otherwise the race moves to ranked choice tabulation.
Bill Hill had about 40% of the vote, and Eric Hafner was at 7.2%. That split matters because Alaska's at-large U.S. House seat is the state's only House seat, so the first-round total can settle the race without a later count if one candidate clears the threshold.
Hotel Captain Cook results night
Begich told supporters at the Hotel Captain Cook in downtown Anchorage after the second wave of statewide results, “We just had a really good ballot drop here just a minute ago, and we are cautiously optimistic,” He also said, “We opened up NPR-A. We opened up ANWR. We're getting that gas line,” while talking about his record.
He appeared at a joint party with Dan Sullivan after the results update. The pace of the count left the race open to a late shift, but the reported totals gave Begich a clear edge as the night went on.
Bill Hill and Alaska Democrats
Hill ran with the Alaska Democratic Party endorsement, but that label was not obvious in the voting booth. The campaign also had to spend resources warning Alaska Democrats not to vote for Eric Hafner, a complication that cut into a simple two-candidate contrast.
Hill, a fisherman and retired educator, said he was a lifelong Alaskan raised in a village on Lake Iliamna and that he has been a salmon fisherman since he was 8. He took time off the campaign trail to fish commercially in Bristol Bay as he does every year. His campaign raised $2.6 million, was managed by Ship Creek Group, and received $3.6 million in support from Wheel Dog PAC.
Richetta Carey and early voting
Richetta Carey of Anchorage said two progressive campaigners picked her up on Sunday and took her to the Midtown Mall for early voting. “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for somebody coming by here and picking me up and taking me to the voting polls,” she said after leaving the ballot site.
Carey said she always follows her dad's advice from five decades ago and chooses the Democrat. After Tuesday, ballots were still expected to come in for days, and the final answer rested on whether Begich stayed over 50% of first-choice votes as the count continued.
