Peltola, JKT and Begich near victory in Alaska races

“This is the situation we have been in with Bristol Bay sockeye salmon for over a decade.” - Forrest Bowers, director of Fish and Game’s Division of Commercial Fisheries.

Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins shakes hands with a supporter at an election night party Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 at the Broken Blender in downtown Anchorage. (Photo by Loren Holmes/Alaska Beacon)

With 25,000 more votes counted, Peltola, JKT and Begich near victory in Alaska races

By James Brooks

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Republican U.S. House Rep. Nick Begich III came closer to clinching victory in Alaska’s general election as the Alaska Division of Elections added almost 25,000 ballots to the state tally on Tuesday night.

With 245,470 first-choice ballots counted, Peltola now leads incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan S. Sullivan by 4,250 first-choice votes, or 48.8% to 47.1%. That’s an increase of more than 1,600 votes from Monday.

This map, published Nov. 10, 2026, shows the site of a land transfer from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to the state-owned Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority. (DNR graphic)

Alaska DNR approves scaled-down land transfer to AIDEA for industrial park near Houston

By James Brooks

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday approved a scaled-down version of a controversial land transfer to a state-owned corporation, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority.

According to a final finding and decision published Tuesday afternoon, DNR has approved a plan that would give approximately 6,800 of land for free to the state-owned corporation. That’s less than the 19,500 acres that had been earmarked for transfer in a preliminary July decision.

Spawning sockeye salmon returning from Bristol Bay swim in 2013 in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve’s Tazimina Lake. (Photo by D. Young/National Park Service)

Another normal year expected for Bristol Bay sockeye salmon, Alaska biologists say

By Yereth Rosen

Alaska fishery biologists expect next year’s run of sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay — site of the world’s largest sockeye runs — to be about normal.

The forecast for 2027, released by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game last week, estimated a return of 49.31 million sockeye salmon in the coming summer season. That would support a harvest of 33.97 million fish, the department forecast said.

COMMENTARY

The real emergency in Alaska is keeping the public in public lands

By Adam Cuthriell

Alaska is facing a public lands emergency. Some of our best and wildest places are being handed over to private, usually foreign, industry — and Alaskans and U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill in order to do it.

The latest example is the proposed West Susitna Industrial Access Road, which the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, or AIDEA, has convinced the Army Corps is an “emergency” to permit. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Alaska Supreme Court revives state’s opioid pharmacy lawsuit against Albertsons, Kroger | James Brooks
Alaska withdraws plan to privatize state employees’ payroll system | James Brooks
US House GOP blocks effort to impeach Hegseth | States Newsroom
Peltola extends lead over Sullivan in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race as ballot-counting continues | James Brooks
University of Alaska reports $86.2M in frozen federal grants restored | Corinne Smith
Trump open to immigration deal, calls crackdown ‘too tough,’ despite Miller promotion | States Newsroom
Alaska voters on track to reject 2 Kenai judges in initial election results | Corinne Smith
Peltola campaign sues Alaska, seeking to reveal the names of rejected absentee voters | James Brooks

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