The results of the Public Policy Polling (PPP) completed days ago on Alaska’s at-large U.S. House race were shocking: Don Young, Republican U.S. Representative for 45 years and dean of the entire U.S. House, was leading independent-Democratic challenger Alyse Galvin by a narrow 46 to 43 percentage points.
10 percent were undecided, according to the PPP poll.
The PPP survey came on the heels of an Alaska Survey Research poll showing Young edging Galvin among likely voters 49.7 to 46.0 percent. Alaska Survey Research’s margin of error was 4.4 percent.
A past chairman of both the House Resources Committee and the House Transportation Committees, onetime tugboat captain Young, 85, has long been an institution in the Land of the Midnight Sun.
In contrast, first-time office-seeker Galvin is a registered independent who entered the Democratic primary with permission of party leaders. On the campaign trail, she almost always refers to herself as an “independent” or “independent Democrat.”
Galvin’s main source of political involvement was through the Great Alaska Schools group, a citizens’ lobby created to fight the cutting of budgets for public school. She is also a strong opponent of the Citizens United ruling of the Supreme Court permitted unlimited independent spending in campaigns.
Last week, Galvin raised eyebrows by reporting she had $1.18 million — 98 percent of it from individuals — to Young’s $1.02 million, half of it from individuals and the other half from political action committees.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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