ADN Politics

Anchorage voters will soon decide a hugely consequential mayor's race. Unlike the last mayoral election, the city is no longer in the middle of a pandemic, but Anchorage is still dealing with significant challenges.  After three tumultuous years, incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson faces nine opponents who promise to lead the city in very different ways.In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to Daily News reporters Emily Goodykoontz and Zachariah Hughes about what they're paying attention to ahead of election day.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy made good on his threat last week, vetoing a $200 million education bill that had passed the Legislature on a bipartisan vote.This week — amid immense pressure on all sides — lawmakers fell one vote short of overriding that veto.Now the future of state education funding for Alaska schools this year is murky, at best. In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to reporters Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire to discuss what happened, and the coming political fallout.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy this week threatened to veto a hard-fought bill to increase funding for Alaska's public schools, unless the Legislature agrees to back some of his own education priorities.Now, lawmakers in Juneau and school districts across the state are scrambling to sort out what to do next.In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to reporters Sean Maguire and Iris Samuels to discuss what is and isn't in the bill, and what might happen next.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

A recent cold snap in Southcentral Alaska raised the profile of a looming problem for the region: Natural gas from Cook Inlet powers a big chunk of Alaska, including Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula and the Mat-Su – but energy companies say that gas won't be available for much longer. How is that possible, in a state that has enormous gas reserves? And what does that mean for future energy bills?Anchorage Daily News reporter Alex DeMarban has been covering this issue, and speaks with host Elizabeth Harball to answer these and other burning questions. For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The New Year has arrived, bringing with it an election year and the next Alaska legislative session. In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to Daily News reporters Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire about the top storylines they are tracking in 2024 — from continued battles over education funding and ranked choice voting to notable people and issues on the ballot in November.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Part of a little-known state agency is near collapse, and it's not clear what will happen to the vulnerable people it serves.Daily News reporter Iris Samuels recently dug into issues at Alaska's Office of Public Advocacy. Facing severe staffing issues, it turned to a private nonprofit to help it provide guardianship services for over 100 people. But that nonprofit ran into issues of its own, leaving the Alaskans it served at risk of going into debt, losing public benefits, or becoming homeless.Host Elizabeth Harball talks to Samuels about what happened to the Office of Public Advocacy, and what that means going forward.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

In this episode, we return to the topic of snow plow politics in Anchorage. In November, once again, the city was hit with back-to-back snowstorms. And once again, the roads were a huge mess.For a winter city that relies on plowing so residents can get to work and schools can open, snow plowing quickly becomes a political issue — especially with a mayoral race coming up.Host Elizabeth Harball talks to Daily News reporter Zachariah Hughes about why so many Anchorage roads went unplowed for days and the political fallout as Mayor Dave Bronson vies for reelection.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

In 2018 and then in 2020, two women were found dead on the same property in the Northwest Alaska community of Kotzebue.The women were 25-year-old Jennifer Kirk and 30-year-old Susanna, or “Sue Sue,” Norton. They both had been in relationships with sons of Kotzebue's now-former mayor, who owns the property where they were found. Kirk's death was declared a suicide, and Norton's, a homicide. No charges have ever been filed in connection to the deaths.In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball speaks with Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica reporter Kyle Hopkins, who spent years looking into the details of the two cases for a recently published story. He explains how he found disturbing patterns leading up to the deaths, as well as unexplained holes in the investigations. For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

As Western Alaska communities face a shocking decline in the salmon runs they depend on, fishing operations called factory trawlers are drawing more scrutiny than ever before — the vessels are not going after salmon, but they can still scoop some up in their nets.With support from the Pulitzer Center, the Daily News recently published a two-part series diving into factory trawling in the Bering Sea, the industry's impact on Alaska's salmon runs, and Community Development Quota groups, which have become powerful players in fishery politics.In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to longtime fisheries reporter Hal Bernton, who went out on a factory trawler this August to report the first story in the series.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Anyone who has tried to buy or rent a home in Anchorage recently has been faced with the realities of the city's housing crisis. Costs have shot up, while at the same time, there isn't a lot of inventory to choose from. The issue has wide-ranging implications for the city, impacting everything from attracting and retaining workers to efforts to address homelessness.Host Elizabeth Harball talks to Anna Brawley, an Anchorage Assembly member with a background in city planning, about efforts to address the city's housing crisis, and challenges that are coming up along the way.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

A top official in Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson's administration resigned this month after being accused of breaking election laws.It's a complicated saga that has unfolded over months – an investigation into the mayor's IT director involving a challenge to this year's city election results. In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball speaks with ADN reporter Emily Goodykoontz, who broke the news about the allegations in May.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

This week, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed $87 million in education funding passed by the Legislature — half of a one-time funding increase for public schools that education advocates said was badly needed. Almost immediately, some lawmakers were calling to override the veto. Host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporter Iris Samuels about the likelihood of a veto override, what it would take to get there, and more.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

It took marathon negotiations behind closed doors, strained relationships between lawmakers, tens of millions in additional capital spending and a one-day special session, but this week, the Alaska Legislature managed to pass a budget.In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporters Sean Maguire and Iris Samuels in Juneau for the inside story on how Alaska lawmakers got to a deal.Note: ADN Politics is taking a break after this episode, and will return in June.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The Alaska Legislative session is entering its final days – at least, officially. Meanwhile, lawmakers still haven't passed a budget, figured out the size of this year's Permanent Fund dividend or agreed on whether to permanently increase funding for public schools. Can they? In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporters Sean Maguire and Iris Samuels, who are in Juneau tracking last-minute negotiations as they unfold. For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Anchorage's Sullivan Arena is entering its final days as a mass homeless shelter. This week, many of the people staying there were forced to leave. And for many of them, there isn't anywhere to go. ADN reporters and photographers were on the ground talking to people as they made their way out of the Sullivan.Host Elizabeth Harball speaks with ADN reporters Michelle Theriault Boots and Emily Goodykoontz to explain why this is happening and what it means for Anchorage in the months ahead.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Last week, the Daily News and ProPublica published a report that included secret recordings of a top Anchorage Library official, in which she calls Alaska Natives “woke” and “racists” and bemoans “the left's” influence on libraries. That official is Judy Eledge — a longtime conservative stalwart in Alaska and the Anchorage Library's deputy director under Mayor Dave Bronson. Eledge is now the subject of several lawsuits filed against the city. In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN and ProPublica reporter Kyle Hopkins about the reporting process and what he has learned since it was published.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

This year's Legislative session in Juneau is in its fourth quarter, with just a month left for lawmakers to finish their work. But even with that deadline looming, some of the biggest political issues we've seen over the last couple months remain unresolved. We'll talk about where things stand with the budget, a controversial education proposal and more.In this episode, host Zachariah Hughes talks with reporters Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire to explain where things stand, and what to expect in the weeks ahead.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

ADN Politics will return next week!For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Campaigning in this year's Anchorage election was defined by voter fatigue with bitterness and drama in city politics. Ballots are still being counted, but so far, results show definitive leads for most candidates aligned with the current Assembly majority — a group that has consistently been at odds with conservative Mayor Dave Bronson. In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks with reporters about the potential factors behind those results, and what they could mean for the future of Anchorage city politics. Correction: An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly said Anchorage Mayor David Bronson has not said if he is running for reelection. Bronson filed for reelection in December.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The German Ambassador to the United States, Emily Haber, is in Alaska for the first time this week, while participating in the Arctic Encounter Symposium in Anchorage.In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to Ambassador Haber about her visit, changing dynamics in the Arctic, energy development, climate change, and how Russia's invasion of Ukraine is affecting those issues.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

This month, a commission that decides salaries for the Alaska Legislature, the governor and top state officials voted to give all of them a significant raise. If the proposal goes through, state lawmakers could receive a 67% pay raise, alongside a roughly 20% raise for the governor and his cabinet. It happened in a 15-minute meeting – with a commission that had been entirely replaced by the governor just days before.Now, some members of the public — and lawmakers themselves — are raising questions about that process.Host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporters Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire to help explain how it happened – and what happens next.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

President Joe Biden this week approved ConocoPhillips' Willow oil project on Alaska's North Slope. The approval came despite massive pressure from environmental groups to kill the project, who see it as a black mark on Biden's broader efforts to deal with climate change.Meanwhile, Alaska political leaders — especially the state's bipartisan congressional delegation — are celebrating Willow's approval as a huge win.Host Elizabeth Harball talks with ADN reporters Alex DeMarban and Riley Rogerson about how the Willow project became a national-level controversy, and what may have led Biden to approve it.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

This week, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy rolled out a “parental rights” bill that would put new limits on sex education in schools and prevent transgender students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity, among other measures. Christian conservatives are welcoming the bill, while a Democratic lawmaker immediately branded it “the most divisive piece of legislation” the Legislature could hear this year. It swiftly drew comparisons to so-called “bathroom bills” being debated in other states. In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball speaks to ADN reporters Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire about the details of the governor's proposal and how it impacts the broader debate over increasing funding for Alaska's public schools.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The Anchorage municipal ombudsman has been at the center of several recent news stories about turmoil within city government. That includes a recent incident when municipal employees accused someone in Mayor Dave Bronson's office of saying they were checking surveillance videos to see who was going to the ombudsman's office.But what exactly is an ombudsman? And how does the position fit into what's happening these days in Anchorage city government?In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball speaks with Anchorage Ombudsman Darrel Hess to answer those questions and more.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Last year, a record 18 people died while in custody of the Alaska Department of Corrections. Seven of those deaths were suicides – also a record. To better understand the circumstances behind the deaths, Daily News reporters obtained Alaska State Troopers investigation reports and medical examiner records, and spoke with family members, advocates and prison officials. In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks with reporter Michelle Theriault Boots about what they learned.Note: This episode deals with the topic of suicide. If you or someone you know are dealing with a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts, you can call the 24/7 Alaska Careline at 988, or 1-877-266-HELP at any time. For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

ADN Politics returns next week!

After decades of protests, lobbying, lawsuits and bureaucratic twists and turns, the federal government has killed the Pebble mine.Well, maybe. At the very least, this week's decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency marks a major turning point for the controversial mine proposal.In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball discusses what's ahead for the mine and the Bristol Bay salmon fishery with ADN reporter Alex DeMarban.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Gears have started to turn in the Alaska Legislature. A Republican-led majority came together in the House after a small group of independent and Democratic lawmakers from rural Alaska agreed to cross the aisle. In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporters Sean Maguire and Iris Samuels about what the Republican-led House means for this year's legislative agenda, a surprise in the governor's State of the State speech, and more.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson has been no stranger to controversy in the year-and-a-half since he took office. But last week, the former municipal manager sent a letter to the mayor and other city officials that landed like a bomb in the middle of city politics. It contained a list of accusations against the mayor and his close associates, ranging from unethical behavior to outright illegal acts.Host Elizabeth Harball talks with ADN reporter Emily Goodykoontz and Kyle Hopkins with ADN and ProPublica, who have been reporting on the accusations laid out in the letter.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The Alaska Legislature gavels in next week, and we're beginning to get a picture of what the upcoming session in Juneau will be like. Some issues — like who's in charge in the Senate — have been largely resolved. Other questions — like organization in the House and what the Legislature will be able to accomplish this session — remain unsettled. In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporter Sean Maguire about what Alaskans should be watching for as the legislative session kicks off.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Anchorage Republican Cathy Giessel is returning to the Alaska Legislature in January as Senate Majority Leader as part of a 17-member majority made up of Republicans and Democrats. In this episode, Giessel talks about what she would like the Legislature to accomplish this year, the governor's $3900 PFD proposal, ranked choice voting, the future of the Alaska Republican party and more.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

To state the obvious, it snowed a lot over the past week or so in Anchorage. Yes, it's Alaska, and yes, it's December. But many of the city's roads have been a mess, and Anchorage residents have been asking: Does it have to be this bad?Host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporter Zachariah Hughes about how snow plowing gets done in Anchorage, how city leaders are handling the latest series of storms and why snow plowing is a politics story.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The votes are counted, the choices ranked, and the 2022 election results now mostly in the books. Though a couple of legislative races are being recounted, Alaskans have a pretty clear picture of who they're sending to Washington and Juneau, and what that means for state politics going forward.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Nationally, in the midterm elections, a predicted “red wave” of GOP victories didn't materialize. Results aren't yet finalized in Alaska, but with some notable exceptions, it's fair to say Republicans aren't in a position to win all the races they'd hoped to win. Host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporters Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire  about where election results stand and how GOP leaders are thinking about their path ahead.Episode Summary:Host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN politics reporters Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire about For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Much remains up in the air after election day in Alaska. But as vote counts started to roll in, some clear storylines emerged  — a ballot measure to hold a constitutional convention was soundly defeated, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy appeared to have the votes to retain office, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski was in a good position to fend off her Trump-backed challenger and Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat and the first Alaska Native elected to Congress, benefitted from the wave of support that followed her victory in the special election.Host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN politics reporters Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire about early results and ongoing uncertainties as the state continues to count ballots in its first ranked choice general election.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today. This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Election day is almost here — not that anyone in Alaska needs reminding, with campaign texts, mailers and signs everywhere you look. In this episode of ADN Politics, reporters Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire lay out what to watch for in the last few days before the election: What can we learn from last-minute campaign moves? When can Alaskans expect to see who won? How is voter turnout looking so far? Do we expect any candidates to challenge the results?For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Election day is Nov. 8, Alaskans have started casting ballots, and things are moving fast in the races for U.S. House, U.S. Senate and the governor's office. The last week has seen cross-party endorsements, in-party rebukes, a series of debates, rulings on campaign finance complaints, a lightsaber snafu and much more.Anchorage Daily News politics reporter Iris Samuels joins host Elizabeth Harball for a catchup on the latest in Alaska's statewide races, less than two weeks out from election day. For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The Anchorage School District announced this week it is considering shutting down six elementary schools — the result of a budget crisis hitting not just Anchorage, but school districts across the state.In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to Daily News education reporter Morgan Krakow and politics reporter Sean Maguire about decisions behind Anchorage's school closure proposal, and the announcement's political fallout.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Former President Donald Trump wants to exert his influence in Alaska this November, with endorsements for several Republican candidates: U.S. House candidate and former Gov. Sarah Palin, U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka and Gov. Mike Dunleavy. But with just weeks to go before the November election day, Tshibaka is facing a multimillion-dollar ad campaign against her from  a major GOP group, and Sarah Palin is trying to gain back ground after losing to a Democrat in the special election.In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN politics reporter Iris Samuels about why, even with Trump's support, Tshibaka and Palin aren't finding a smooth path to victory.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The ongoing homelessness crisis in Alaska's biggest city has hit another turning point — or a U-turn. In a highly controversial move this summer, Anchorage's mayor shut down the sports arena the city had been using as a mass homeless shelter since the start of the pandemic, and bused people there to a campground with very limited services. But on Oct. 1, with temperatures dropping and winter approaching, city buses arrived at that same city campground to bring unhoused people who had been living there back to Anchorage's Sullivan Arena. What happened? In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporter Zachariah Hughes about why, as winter looms, city officials are still struggling to agree on a plan to shelter people who are homeless in Anchorage.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

There's a yes-no question on the November ballot that has the potential to make big changes in Alaska. It could change how judges are appointed, how education is funded and how the state decides the amount of the Permanent Fund dividend. And it could lead to an abortion ban in Alaska.The question: “Shall there be a constitutional convention?”In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball talks to ADN reporter Sean Maguire about why some Alaskans want to change the state's constitution, and why others are pushing back at that effort.For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law this summer by President Joe Biden, is one of the most significant actions the U.S. government has ever taken to address climate change. It could also lead to more mining in Alaska.In this episode, host Elizabeth Harball is joined by ADN reporter Alex DeMarban, who dug into how the Inflation Reduction Act incentivizes mining for so-called critical minerals, essential to building the wind turbines, solar panels, batteries and other technology needed for the world to cut carbon emissions. It turns out Alaska has many of the critical minerals the U.S. is looking for to help deal with climate change — but also long-running concerns about mining's impacts to fisheries, subsistence and more. For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

Nearly every seat in the Alaska Legislature is up for election in November, and there's a lot at stake.On this episode, host Elizabeth Harball is joined by ADN politics reporter Sean Maguire to talk about how legislative races are shaping up so far, and what that could mean as the state continues to grapple with issues including the budget, abortion, education funding and the future of ranked choice votingFor more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

On this episode, host Elizabeth Harball is joined by Mary Peltola, recently elected as Alaska's lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives.Peltola talked from her hometown of Bethel, during a brief visit before heading to Washington, D.C. to be sworn in to fill the term of the late Rep. Don Young.In this interview, Peltola discusses her background, bipartisanship, issues including abortion, gun control and resource development, and what lies ahead for her in Washington during the coming months. For more local and state news, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

In a major political upset, Democrat Mary Peltola this week beat  Republican former Gov. Sarah Palin to be Alaska's next representative in the U.S. House.Who is Mary Peltola? How did she win? How did the Republican candidates lose? And what does Peltola's victory mean in the lead-up to the general election in November? On this episode, host Elizabeth Harball is joined by Anchorage Daily News reporter Iris Samuels to discuss all these questions and more about Alaska's unique, high-profile special election for Alaska's lone seat in the U.S. House. For more local and state news, subscribe to ADN today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee.

How did a crisis with homelessness come to dominate local politics in Alaska's largest city? On this episode, ADN reporters Emily Goodykoontz and Michelle Theriault Boots explain the major policy changes in Anchorage that have kept homelessness in the headlines. From a pandemic emergency shelter in the Sullivan Arena to the Centennial Campground and scattered site facilities inside hotels, we discuss what happened, why, and what's next. With winter weather just weeks away and the potential for hundreds of people to have no safe place to stay, this is a political story with deeply human consequences. For more local and state news, subscribe to ADN today.This episode of ADN Politics is sponsored by SteamDot Coffee

After months of campaigning, lots of national attention and more than a few surprises — Alaskans went to the polls on Aug. 16 in the state's first regular primary election since the passage of an elections overhaul passed in 2020.We're unpacking what happened and what it means between now and November with ADN politics reporter Iris Samuels.The primary was as unusual as it was historic. There is the race to replace the late Don Young in the U.S. House, and primary races where candidates from any and all political parties appeared side by side on the ballot. The election is also a test on whether a Republican senator who voted to impeach former President Trump can still win. And – it was Alaska's first time trying out the new ranked choice voting system. Results are still being counted, but once they firm up they'll shape what happens between now and November, determining who Alaskans will send to the U.S House, the Senate, the Governor's Mansion, and 59 of the 60 seats in the Legislature. For more local and state news, subscribe to ADN today. 

Earlier this summer, former President Donald Trump made good on his vow to come to Alaska. Thousands of people attended a July 9th rally in Anchorage, where Trump campaigned in support of  the Republican candidates he's endorsed – and against Senator Lisa Murkowski, one of just seven Republican senators who voted to impeach him in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.A year-and-a-half after leaving office, Trump's influence over the GOP remains strong, both nationally and in Alaska. On this episode, ADN politics reporter Iris Samuels explains what happened at Trump's first rally in the state and what his endorsement means in Alaska's races for congress, senate, and the governor's office. For more local and state news, subscribe to ADN today.