A special election primary is being held on August 18 for District M of the Alaska State Senate. Anita Thorne and Nicholas Willie are running in the Democratic primary. Josh Revak, Harold Borbridge, and Ray Metcalfe are running in the Republican primary. The general election is being held on November 3.
The seat became vacant after Chris Birch (R) passed away on August 8, 2019. Birch had represented the district since January 2019. Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) appointed Josh Revak to the seat on September 27, 2019.
Heading into the special election, Republicans have a 13-7 majority in the Alaska Senate. Alaska has a divided government, and no political party holds a state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers.
As of August, 56 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2020 in 26 states. Between 2011 and 2019, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.