THE LINK: OCTOBER 2024 40 Control of the next state Legislature will hinge on a handful of key state Senate and House races, including in Fairbanks and the Interior. Voters will decide at the Nov. 5 general election. It’s generally thought that there will be another coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats in the upcoming two-year Legislature, which begins in January. There could always be surprises in the election, however. Two Senate seats in the Interior are up for grabs, the most contested being the matchup between current Fairbanks Sen. Scott Kawasaki, a Democrat, and his challenger, Lesli Hajdukovich, a Republican. This is for a Senate district in the core Fairbanks area. Kawasaki beat Hajdukovich in a previous race, but they appear neck-and-neck as November approaches. Both are strong contenders for the seat, and if Hajdukovich wins it will gain Republicans a seat in the 20-member Senate although the body is likely to be controlled once again by a coalition between moderate Republicans and Democrats. The other race being closely watched is between Mike Cronk, a Republican and currently a state House member, and independent Savannah Fletcher, for current Sen. Click Bishop’s district that includes areas in the Interior and near Fairbanks. This would be to fill the seat vacated by Bishop who is retiring this year from the Legislature. Other Senate races to watch include Republican Sen. David Wilson’s reelection bid in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough north of Anchorage against a challenge by Robert Yundt, also Republican. Yundt is a conservative member of the borough assembly until his recent resignation due to a change of residence within the borough. This is a Republican-on-Republican contest that won’t change the partisan lineup in the Senate. However, Wilson is now a part of the coalition controlling the Senate and it is uncertain whether Yundt, if he wins, will join a coalition or go on the “back bench” as three conservative Republican senators, Shelley Hughes and Mike Shower in the Mat-Su, and Robert Myers, of North Pole, did in the current Legislature. Another Senate Republican-on-Republican contest is on the Kenai Peninsula where Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Soldotna, a moderate from Soldotna, faces a challenge from Ben Carpenter of Nikiski, a conservative Republican now a member of the House. Bjorkman is now part of the Senate coalition and would likely join a new one. Whether Carpenter would join is unknown, but constituents may press him to join so that the district is represented in leadership decisions. Another Senate race that could tip the partisan balance but would likely not affect a coalition is in south Anchorage’s “hillside” district, where incumbent Republican Sen. James Kaufman faces a strong challenge from Janice Park, a Democrat. Kaufman defeated Park in the last election, but Park made a strong showing in the August primary election. Kaufman is part of the Senate coalition and will likely join a new one if reelected. If Park is elected, she would likely support a coalition. One other Senate Republican-on-Republican contest in November is in Eagle River, where incumbent Sen. Kelley Merrick, a Republican and part of the current Senate coalition, faces a strong challenge from Jared Goecker, also Republican. Merrick is a key member of the current Senate coalition, which has prompted conservatives in her district to promote opponents. In the state 40-member state House there are some tight races, such as on the Kenai Peninsula, where incumbent Rep. Sarah Vance faces a strong challenger. Another race being watched is in Northwest Alaska, where Republican Thomas Baker faces strong challenge from two Democrats, Saima Chase, and Robyn Burke, who both finished ahead of Baker in the August primary election. The House is currently split between Republicans, who constitute a slim majority, and Democrats and independents who are now part of the House minority. Just a few wins for Democrats or independents could tip the narrow balance of control of the House in the next Legislature. — Tim Bradner Legislative control rests on a few races KAWASAKI HAJDUKOVICH FLETCHER CRONK
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